Legendary Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Face, has reflected on his timeless hit African Queen, describing it as both a blessing and a burden.
Speaking on a recent Entertainment & Lifestyle show, the award-winning icon admitted that while the song changed his life, it also came with challenges that have lingered for years.
“African Queen has been a very huge blessing, and e come turn to problem join for me. But I am grateful for everything,” he said.
Released in 2004, African Queen became an anthem across the continent, catapulting 2Face to international fame and earning him prestigious honours including the BET Award, MTV Europe Award, and MOBO Award, marking the first time an African artist achieved such global recognition.
However, the song has long been shadowed by controversy. 2Face’s former Plantashun Boiz bandmate, Blackface, has consistently claimed authorship of the hit allegations 2Face has denied, clarifying that it was a collaborative effort during their time as a group.
The debate reignited recently after Billboard named African Queen the “Greatest Afrobeats Song of All Time” in 2025, sparking fresh public discussion about the song’s origins.
Despite the tension, 2Face expressed gratitude for the song’s impact on his career and on African music.
For him, African Queen is both a gift and a lifelong test a song that brought him fame, history, and legacy, but also years of scrutiny and controversy that refuse to fade.
