Valiant hails his mom as his best friend

In the vibrant dancehall space, there are several tales of artistes who credit their success to the support of their loved ones.

Among these stories is the heartwarming bond between rising dancehall act Valiant and his mother Mary Bowes. Their relationship goes beyond the typical parent-child dynamic, as she is not only his mother, but the person he considers his best friend.

"Me and my mother close man!" he said beaming with pride and joy. "She is my best friend."

As the artiste sat in the Digicel building in downtown Kingston following a tour of the facility and a meet-and-greet with staff, his phone began to vibrate. On the caller ID was none other than his supportive mother, right as he began to talk about how often she actually calls him.

"She ask me, 'Yuh eat? Yuh tek yuh vitamins? Yuh sleep? Yuh cyaa just a work so! Mi see yuh pon TV! Mi hear mi name inna song'," Valiant said while attempting to mimic his mother's voice.

He shared with THE WEEKEND STAR that his mother is not really one for the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, and though she prefers to operate behind the scenes, she is always there for him. As many prepare to honour their moms this Mothers' Day, the Cut All Losses deejay said that the best gift he could give his mommy at this time is his company.

"She get everything wah she fi get already. Right now a just fi spend more time with her because she nah really see me," he said.

According to him, she has been a teacher, friend, advisor and more to him. The best advice he has received from her is to "stay focused and trust nobody" and he lives by that when approaching his life and career. As he takes his brand from viral sensation to corporate client, he said this was always the plan.

"It has been in the dream for Valiant and Diplomats to go corporate. Even though the type a songs wah we sing, I had to sing those types of songs to make people gravitate to me because when mi did sing positive songs, nobody did a really listen to dem. So I had to grab them because people listen to negativity more than positivity. Mi did affi just reverse it to make dem hear mi out. When mi capture dem by the negativity, I can change it around and give dem positivity," he explained.

The artiste has had quite the run since going viral in 2022. He was recently awarded the International Reggae and World Music Award (IRAWMA) for Best New Entertainer and has won a few similar awards in the last several months.