Nigerian music legend Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has addressed the long-running controversy over the authorship of his iconic hit African Queen.
In a recent interview on the 234 Mzansi podcast, shared on YouTube on Monday, 2Baba clarified that the song — which launched him to global fame and helped spotlight Nigerian music internationally — was a joint effort between him and his former bandmate, Blackface. It’s a collab. I wrote most of the song actually, but we wrote it together, he explained.
However, 2Baba expressed frustration over Blackface’s ongoing claims of sole ownership, saying he doesn’t understand the motivation behind the repeated accusations. For me, the law and legal things speak for themselves. I don’t know what his intentions are. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to him, he said.
Despite the feud, 2Baba insisted he has always shown Blackface respect, though he finds the repeated public attacks hurtful.The things he says are absurd, ridiculous, and very painful sometimes, he added.
Till today, I just wonder why. That’s the only thing I have in my head — like, why? What is the reason? It’s just ridiculous.
The African Queen dispute remains one of the most talked-about conflicts in the Nigerian music scene.
