LAGOS: Legendary Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Face or 2Baba, has described his classic hit song African Queen as both a blessing and a burden.
Speaking on a recent Entertainment and Lifestyle program, the award-winning artiste said the 2004 song transformed his life but also brought challenges that have followed him for years.
African Queen has been a very huge blessing, and we come turn to problem join for me. But I am grateful for everything, 2Face said.
Released in 2004, African Queen became one of the most iconic love songs to ever emerge from Africa, propelling 2Face to global stardom.
The track earned him several international awards, including the BET Award, MTV Europe Music Award, and the MOBO Award, making him one of the first African artistes to attain such international acclaim.
However, the song has also been surrounded by long-standing controversy. 2Face’s former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Blackface, has repeatedly claimed ownership of the song, alleging he originally wrote it.
2Face has consistently denied the accusation, explaining that the song was a collaborative effort created while they were still bandmates.
The conversation around African Queen resurfaced recently after Billboard named it the “Greatest Afrobeats Song of All Time in 2025, reigniting public debate over its origin.
Despite the controversies, 2Face said he remains deeply thankful for the song’s impact on his life and career.
It gave me history, fame, recognition, and influence, he said. But it also came with arguments, accusations, and pressure that I’ve had to live with for more than two decades.
