2Baba: ‘African Queen Has Been a Blessing and a Problem’

Legendary Nigerian artiste, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face or 2Baba, has admitted that his iconic hit, African Queen, has been both a blessing and a burden in his decades-long music journey.

Speaking on the Entertainment & Lifestyle show, which trended on Sunday, the music star said the 2004 classic became the launchpad that propelled him to continental fame, but also came with complications he never imagined.

“That song has been a very huge blessing, and e don turn to problem join for me,” he said with a laugh.
“But like I said earlier, I’m grateful for everything.”

While acknowledging that African Queen remains the most recognisable record of his career, 2Baba stressed that it is not his only masterpiece.

He explained that many of his other songs have also touched listeners across Africa and beyond.

“There are so many other songs I have that are brilliant, and many people resonate with them too,” he noted.

Released in 2004 as part of his debut solo album Face 2 Face, African Queen shot 2Face into global prominence and established him as one of Africa’s biggest music exports.

The track earned him widespread acclaim and a string of international awards, including honours from BET, MTV Europe and MOBO, making him the first African artiste to clinch all three.

It also played a key role in redefining Afrobeats for a global audience, years before the genre became dominant worldwide.

Blackface Controversy Reignites

Despite its success, African Queen has been dogged by longstanding controversy.

His former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, popularly known as Blackface, has repeatedly accused him of stealing the song.

2Baba has always denied the allegation, insisting that the song was crafted during their days together as a group and was not a case of theft.

The debate flared up again in August 2025 after Billboard crowned African Queen as the “Greatest Afrobeats Song of All Time,” reigniting old tensions within the defunct group.

For many fans, African Queen remains an evergreen classic, one of those rare songs that defined an era, shaped a generation and cemented 2Baba’s place in music history.

But for the singer, the track carries both joy and pressure. It is the song that opened all the doors, and the song he can never truly escape.

Still, 2Baba insists he is grateful, accepting the legacy of African Queen as part of the story that made him who he is.