It took him two years, but Milton Blake achieved his goal of launching his album, Temporary Obstacle , in Jamaica. That event took place on August 7 at Lewis Cartility in Kingston.

It attracted a solid gathering, including several of the Cleveland, Ohio-based singer’s colleagues who showed up to give support. Among them were Luciano, Mikey General, Paul Elliott. and Little John.

Blake said, though the album came out in 2019, its roots-reggae sound and message-driven songs retain relevance. He is keen to bridge the gap between his contemporaries and the dancehall generation.

“Di music now is on a more uptempo scale with di younger talent, so this type of ‘rootical’ vibe is needed. A lot of dem [younger fans] never get a chance to know this kinda sound,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Backed by The Firehouse Crew, Blake performed some of the songs from the album, including Heir to The Throne (with Mikey General) and Looking For Love. At various times he shared the stage with Luciano, Jahbari, Sugar Banton, and King Malakiya.

Though he is originally from Clarendon, Blake’s musical roots are in the Central Village community of Spanish Town. His first song, Healing, was produced by Dwight Pinkney and released in the early 1990s.

Blake migrated to the United States Midwest just over 10 years ago and records and tours with the River Nile Band. His previous album, People Need Jah, was released in 2013.