‘Far me a come from’ - Valiant celebrates one-year anniversary of musical breakthrough

Dancehall artiste Valiant marked the first anniversary of his big break in the entertainment industry on Monday with a mega all-white birthday bash inside Taboo, Kingston, with fans and entertainers.

The adult playground was packed to capacity and the birthday boy was in his element, surrounded by artistes such as Deno Crazy, 450, Vanessa Bling, Laden, Pablo YG, Skeng, Jah Frass, JQuan, Ishawna and Quada. With a bottle of Ace of Spade Champagne in hand, Valiant belted hits from his growing catalogue to the amusement of his adoring fans who turned out in their numbers to party with him. He expressed gratitude for the support shown over the year, and asked his fans to continue to support his endeavours.

"A far me a come from, yuh feel like me stupid. Anytime you reach a certain level, celebrate and enjoy yourself," Valiant told his fans, before singing his hit song Siance to thunderous forwards. THE STAR understands that Valiant, who recently secured a US work permit, flew in from Florida last weekend to celebrate his birthday on local soil. In a post on his Instagram account yesterday, his actual birthday, he posted a photo of himself in Miami Beach, Florida, his first public post signalling his ability to travel to the US.

Nabel, long-time friend and a member of Valiant's Diplomat Team, told THE STAR that the turnout was great and the vibes were top-notch.

"From we reach and see the turnout on a Monday night, you get the feeling it was gonna be a good night. Inside the club was packed. The VIP was packed, upstairs and downstairs. Big up the Diplomats. Happy Birthday Vali," he said.

Valiant, who told The Gleaner in 2022 that he had been recording for about eight years, burst onto the scene in 2022 after a video of him at his birthday gathering saying "Kotch E Hat a Lie, Rich a Lie" went viral.

Since then, Valiant has released several popular songs such as Expensive, Dunce Cheque, St Mary, Muhammad, Insomnia and Mad Out. He released his mixtape 4:14 in June.

Last December, at the long-anticipated return of the Sting show in St Ann, Valiant gave an impromptu performance in the parking lot of the Grizzly's Plantation Cove venue when the show was halted, further solidifying his popularity with the masses. In May of this year, he won the 40th International Reggae and World Music Award for Best New Entertainer. He also received the inaugural Marketplace Entertainment Centre For The Arts Award for Breakout Celebrity and Best New Artiste last December.