African Queen (song)

Last updated
"African Queen"
Single by 2Baba
from the album Face 2 Face
ReleasedJanuary 1, 2004 (2004-01-01)
Genre
Length4:20
Label Kennis Music
Songwriters
  • Innocent Idibia
  • Ahmedu Obiabo
Producer OJB Jezreel
2Baba singles chronology
"Nfana Ibaga (No Problem)"
(2004)		"African Queen"
(2004)		"Right Here"
(2004)
Music video
"African Queen" on YouTube

"African Queen" is a song recorded by Nigerian singer 2Baba, released by Kennis Music on 1 January 2004. Produced by OJB Jezreel and co-written by 2Baba and Blackface, the song was released as the second single from the album Face 2 Face (2004). "African Queen" is an Afrobeats ballad with elements of West African folk music and hip-hop. The song was featured in the movies Phat Girlz (2006) and 10 Days in Sun City (2017). 2Baba filed a defamation lawsuit against Blackface after being accused of stealing "African Queen". Both men settled the matter out of court and the lawsuit was dropped.

Contents

"African Queen" was ranked first on Billboard 's list of the 50 Greatest Afrobeats Songs of All Time. It has received several accolades, including African Song of the Year at the 2005 Ghana Music Awards and Song of the Decade at the 2007 Nigeria Music Awards. The music video for "African Queen", which was the first ever video played on MTV Base, features an appearance by 2Baba's ex-wife Annie Macaulay.

Background

2Baba was a member of Plantashun Boiz, a group composed of himself, Blackface, and Faze. [1] The trio formed in 2000 and put out the albums Body and Soul (2000) and Sold Out (2003) before breaking up in 2004. [2] [1] 2Baba signed a record deal with Kennis Music in 2004 and released his debut solo album that same year. [3] [4] He co-wrote the track "African Queen" with Blackface and released it on 1 January 2004. [1] [5] The song was produced by OJB Jezreel, who single-handedly produced the entire Face 2 Face album. [6] 2Baba and Blackface both wrote the lyrics, melody, and the first two verses together. [5] "African Queen" is an Afrobeats ballad that incorporates elements of West African folk music and hip-hop. [7] Friday Omosola of Premium Times said the song explores themes of love and contains "soft melody" and "heartfelt lyrics". Reviewing the album for The Native , Wale Oloworekende praised 2Baba's vocals on the track and said the record opens with guitar strums. [4] In an interview with Seychelles Nation , 2Baba said the ballad honors African women and celebrates their resilience. [8]

2Baba considers "African Queen" to be a universal song that isn't exclusive to any one individual. [8] In an interview with Akinnagbe Akintomide, he said he recorded the song after having a desire to show love and respect to African women. [5] "Africa Queen" was featured in the 2006 romantic comedy film Phat Girlz , which was directed by Nnegest Likké and stars Mo'Nique. [7] In the film, the song plays after the end credits and during a scene involving the lead character and her romantic partner. [9] "African Queen" was also featured in the movie 10 Days in Sun City , which was directed by Ayo Makun. [10] 2Baba starred with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Adesua Etomi, and Uti Nwachukwu in the film. [10]

IP theft claim

In 2013, 2Baba and Annie Macaulay held a wedding ceremony in Dubai. [11] Blackface said he wasn't invited and didn't attend the wedding. [11] 2baba debunked Blackface's comments while speaking on Channels TV's Rubbing Minds. [11] In January 2016, Blackface accused 2Baba and his manager Efe Omorogbe of intellectual property theft, and said he wrote the songs "African Queen" and "Let Somebody Love You". [12] The former track appeared on Face 2 Face (2004) and the latter on The Ascension (2014). [13] Two years later, 2Baba filed a 50-million naira defamation lawsuit against Blackface. [12] In a letter sent by his lawyers, 2Baba told Blackface to retract his statements. [12] On 27 November 2019, both men reached an out-of-court settlement at the Ikeja High Court in Lagos. [14] 2Baba dropped the 50-million naira lawsuit he previously filed. [14]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "African Queen" was the first ever video played on MTV Base. [8] 2Baba's ex-wife, Macaulay, appeared as the lead vixen in the video, along with model and actress Yvonne Jegede. [7] During the promotion of the single "Smile" in 2022, Macaulay revealed that she was a struggling model who was dating 2Baba prior to the video's shoot. Moreover, she said he reached out to her to star in the video. [15] In March 2017, 2Baba released the official video for the remix of "African Queen". [10] It was filmed in South Africa and celebrates his fourth wedding anniversary. The video includes footage from his 2013 wedding to Macaulay. [10]

Covers

In 2020, Blackface released his own version of "African Queen", which retains key elements of the original lyrics, chorus, verses, and rhythm. [7] Greentea Peng's track "Dingaling", which appeared on her debut project Man Made, contains an interpolation of "African Queen". [16] In May 2024, 2Baba released a remastered version of "African Queen", which appeared on the album's 20th anniversary release. [17]

Legacy and reception

Upon release, "African Queen" gained traction across West Africa, Southern Africa, and Europe. [7] In October 2015, Billboard magazine ranked the song first on its list of the 50 Greatest Afrobeats Songs of All Time. [18] 2Baba won Best Male Video and Best African Video for "African Queen" at the 2005 Channel O Music Video Awards. [7] Likké, who directed the movie Phat Girlz, labeled the track "an iconic song" and said it "struck a universal chord with the world". [9] In an interview with Showmax's Journey of the Beats, 2Baba said the popularity of "African Queen" has eclipsed all of his other music releases. [7]

Accolades

YearAwards ceremonyAward description(s)ResultsRef.
2004A.M.E.N AwardsSong of the YearWon [19]
Best VideoWon
2005 Ghana Music Awards African Song of the YearWon
G.C.E International AwardsBest Song of the YearWon
City People Awards for ExcellenceBest Male VideoWon [20]
Channel O Music Video Awards Won [21]
Best African Video of the YearWon
2007Nigeria Music AwardsSong of the DecadeWon [19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Samson Toromade (27 February 2017). "African Queen: The evolution of star as a Nigerian music legend". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  2. ↑ Deborah Bodunde (November 19, 2024). "Blackface: Plantashun Boiz attempted reunions failed because I wasn't invited". The Cable Lifestyle. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "2Face returns to Kennis Music 6 years after". Daily Trust. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 Wale Oloworekende (15 May 2024). "The Everlasting Resonance Of 2Face's 'Face2Face'". The Native. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Akinnagbe Akintomide (29 October 2011). "Tuface Idibia Opens Up on the Sucess Story of his hit track African Queen". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  6. ↑ Ehis Ohunyon (16 May 2018). "14 years after, 'Face 2 Face' is still a gem of an album". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Friday Omosola (January 30, 2025). "Flashback: How 'African Queen' redefined Annie, 2Baba's love story". Premium Times. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "African queens big up for African king 2Face". Seychelles Nation. 21 October 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  9. 1 2 Heran Mamo (September 15, 2025). "15 Afropop Needle Drops". Billboard. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "TuFace releases new visuals for 'African Queen' Remix". Premium Times. March 23, 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Njideka Agbo (21 March 2019). "2baba Versus Blackface: A Timeline Of Brotherhood Gone Sour". Guardian Life. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 Jayne Augoye (19 July 2018). "2Baba sues former band mate, Blackface, for N50 million". Premium Times. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  13. ↑ Ehis Ohunyon (19 July 2018). "Here's both sides of the story as Blackface says 2baba is suing him for N50M". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  14. 1 2 Daniel Anazia (29 November 2019). "TuFace And Blackface To Settle Feuds Out-Of-Court Settlement". Guardian Life. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  15. ↑ Ademola Olonilua (22 January 2022). "Annie Idibia: I was struggling when Tuface featured me in 'African Queen'". Daily Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  16. ↑ Robert Kazandjian (4 January 2021). "Greentea Peng is Healing, Using Shrooms and Music's Miracle Tone". Vice. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  17. ↑ Odunmorayo Oke (15 May 2024). "Tuface's "Face2Face" Debut Album Celebrates 20th Anniversary". Guardian Life. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "2face's "African Queen" crowned the Best Afrobeats Song of All Time by Billboard". The Lagos Review. October 30, 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  19. 1 2 Nyingifa Theodore (28 October 2013). "A Birthday Tribute- What You May Already Know About Africa's Music Icon 2Face Idibia". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  20. ↑ Badmus, Kayode (19 September 2015). "#2faceAt40: 40 major awards he's won". Nigerian Entertainment Today .
  21. ↑ "Nigeria: Channel O African Music Video Awards 2005". This Day. 9 April 2005. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.