2Baba’s Music @ 25: A Milestone Of Unmatchable Success

Nigerian music icon, Innocent Idibia, popularly known with the stage name 2Baba, has marked a silver jubilee as an entertainer in the Nigerian music industry.

The song writer, vocalist, instrumentalist and record label owner has been in the music light for the past 25 years, making incredible impact in the growth of the industry and has made increased significance in putting the country out in positive light through the art of music.

Noting this milestone achievement without a recollection of his entrance into the Nigerian music industry cannot be complete.

Coming into light in 2004 with his lead single, “African Queen” from his debut album “Face 2 Face” after breaking away from his group, Plantashun Boiz, which had Black Face and Faze as members, 2Baba has continued to rise up the ladder of the list of successful musicians in Nigeria.

First signed to the Dove records as a band and then, to Kennis Music as a solo artist, he has successfully grown to be an independent artist who owns and manages Hypertek Music, which he formed years after leaving Kennis.

With a catalogue and music discography that spans through different genres, theme and style, Innocent Idibia has won multiple awards both locally and internationally.

He is a five times winner of the Music of the year Category at the prestigious Headies Award, a four times Channel O music video awards winner, won the Music of Black Origin awards, the Afrima Legends award in 2019, got inducted into The Headies Hall of Fame in 2015 and also Music Legends Awards in Ghana in 2022, etc.

On legacies, in May of 2016, 2Baba was conferred a honoury Masters of Arts in Music at Igbinedion University, Nigeria and in March 2019, he was named a Fellow of the School of Music at Obafemi Awolowo University. He also launched the “Vote Not Fight” campaign under the Youngstars Foundation and the National Democratic Institute.

2Baba has served as an ambassador for various brands including Guinness, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Hennessy artistry season, Oraimo, Campari, and others too numerous to mention.

It should also be noted that Idibia has made not just a significant but also successful transition in stage names. From Innocent to 2Face Idibia to the current 2Baba which he is known for, he has consistently dropped back to back singles over the years that is recorded in 8 studio albums and multiple featured tracks both locally and internationally.

However, 2Baba’s 25 year active presence in the Nigerian music industry cannot be written without some controversies which is centered around his personal life that has indirectly affected his career at a point or another. Being a father to different children from different mothers, 2Baba has been under the spotlight of criticisms from both his fellow artists and the general public.

But being a musical guru, he converted some of the de controversies to good music. For example, “Only Me” off the international edition of his 4th studio album “The Unstoppable” released in 2010, took a look at how the artist says he would handle the situations around him if no one else was involved in his life drama.

2Baba’s musical journey in the last 25 years has also been a means of lending voice to human rights, calling out unfavourable government policies and public sensitization. “E be like say” off his debut album is still an anthem that is raised anytime there is a need to speak about ill government policies.

The 50 year old artist can be said to have left a solid footprint by using music to leave a lasting impression in the mind of generations to come.