Reggae singer Kerk Milan is pinning his hopes on the release of a 1982 Dennis Brown cover, Why Baby Why , to propel his career to a new level.

“D Brown is my favourite singer. I wanted to do a Dennis Brown cover that nobody has never done before, something exclusive, and you have to [be] a real passionate D Brown fan to know that song. It was written and produced by Willie Lindo for Joe Gibbs, and it is on the Inseparable album,” said Kerk Milan.

Kerk Milan’s version is produced by Troy McLean for First Name Music and mixed by Steven Stanley and Troy McLean.

Producer Troy McLean made an effort to use a who’s who of musicians to recreate the magic of the original.

“We used Dalton Browne on the electric guitar weeks before he died. We recruited Dean Fraser who did the original horns, while Sly Dunbar programmed the drums and Oonga played the drums. We made sure that this song is top quality,” McLean said.

The song will be the first major release from Kerk Milan’s debut 12 song album, Reggae World, slated for release on First Name Music label during the first quarter of 2022.

“All tracks are complete, except for a possible combination with Sizzla. So things are progressing well,” said Kerk Milan, whose given name is Rory Beckford.

Some of the singles include title track Reggae World, Why Baby Why, and Vibe Up featuring Khalia.

Kerk Milan grew up in Kencot, Kingston, and attended John Mills All-Age. He emigrated to England in 2001 where he currently resides in Luton, London. He has performed on several reggae shows in England.

He changed his name from Lemonade to Kerk Milan in 2013, recording his first single in 2014, a cover version of Freddie McKay’s Picture On the Wall.

“I am really excited about this Why Baby Why and the release of my debut album, it’s been a long journey to get here but the future looks bright,” he said.