Veteran Nigerian music legend Innocent Idibia, widely known as 2Baba, has addressed the long-standing controversy surrounding his iconic hit song “African Queen.” He insists he did not steal the song from his former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Blackface.
Speaking during an appearance on the 234 Mzansi Podcast, which was posted to YouTube on Monday, 2Baba clarified that African Queen was a collaborative effort, not a stolen work, as Blackface repeatedly claimed.
“It’s a collab. I wrote most of the song actually, but we wrote it together,” 2Baba revealed.
“I Don’t Know What I Did to Him” — 2Baba on Blackface’s Accusations
The singer expressed disappointment over Blackface’s ongoing public accusations, noting that legal records and documentation about the song’s creation speak for themselves.
“For me, the law and the legal things speak for themselves. So I’m not somebody to come and start… I don’t know what his intentions are. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to him,” he said.
2Baba also shared how painful and frustrating it has been to watch someone he once worked with continue to attack him publicly.
“They [the things he says] are absurd. They are just ridiculous and they are very, very painful sometimes,” he added.
“Till today, I just wonder why. That is the only thing I have in my head — like why? What is the reason? It’s just ridiculous.”
Background of the Feud
The “African Queen” saga is one of the most widely discussed disputes in Nigerian music history. Since the song’s release in 2004, it has become a global Afrobeat classic, propelling 2Baba’s solo career to international heights.
However, Blackface has consistently accused 2Baba of intellectual property theft, claiming sole authorship of the song and even threatening legal action multiple times.
Despite attempts at reconciliation over the years, the feud has remained unresolved in the public eye — with each artist standing firmly by his version of events.
2Baba’s Legacy
Despite the controversy, 2Baba has continued to command respect as one of the most influential figures in Nigerian music. His humility and refusal to publicly escalate the feud have earned him praise from fans and industry veterans alike.
As for African Queen, it remains a timeless anthem, and with this new clarification, 2Baba appears ready to put the debate to rest once and for all.
