Valiant, who is a recent MOBO Award nominee in the Best Caribbean Music Act category, has joined the likes of Skillibeng, BEAM, Koffee, Protoje, and Lila Iké on Sony’s roster of recording stars. Koffee, Protoje, and Lila Ike signed with Sony’s Columbia Records UK and also have representation via Sony’s RCA Records in the United States.
Valiant’s huge following
Originally a member of Unruly Camp, Valiant took on new management in 2022 in a team named 1Diplomats. Since then, he gained prominence when he spoke the words “kotch e hat, a lie” during a video shoot that went viral. This was followed by several hits that included “Speed Off,” “Dunce Check,” “North Carolina,” and “Expensive.” Valiant now has a following on Spotify that totals more than 614,000 listeners per month, with three locations in the UK – London, Southwark, and Birmingham – among the top five areas where his music is listened to the most. London is the top listening region, with Kingston in Jamaica, and Toronto, Canada, listed second and third, respectively.
His first Sony/Epic releases
Epic Records UK was reintroduced in April 2023 by Sony Music UK to make its 70th anniversary. The label has been positioned in the market to serve as the frontline label for promoting global music and British culture. Valiant’s first releases under his new label included “Mad Out” and “Beer & Salt,” both released in the fall of 2023. For the holidays, the dancehall artist released an EP, “A Gift from Me to You,” in December 2023. The songs featured on the EP included “Polygamy,” “Search,” “BUDDUM,” “Heart Attack,” “Birkin,” and “Set Fi Mi.”
Jamaica’s Entertainment Minister A Fan
Valiant can count Jamaica’s Minister of Entertainment, Olivia Grange,” as one of his biggest supporters. The artist affectionately acknowledged her as his aunt and she has been instrumental in steering the dancehall star on a path away from recording “unwholesome songs.” While attending the launch of his mixtape, “4:14,” Grange told him that she was proud of him despite some of the content of his music, and she cited his benevolence in particular. She noted that she was especially proud when “her nephew” paid the school fee for a student who lacked the resources to do so for himself. Not many others would do that, Grange commented.
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