2Face: “”African Queen” has been both a blessing and a burden for me”
Twenty years after its release, African Queen still defines 2Face’s career — a blessing, a burden, and a source of ongoing controversy.
2Face Idibia @ The Guardian Nigeria
Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Face, reflected on the impact of his cult hit African Queen, which he considers the song that truly launched his career. The artist said that, despite the song’s global success, it has sometimes proved to be a burden.
“African Queen has been a huge blessing, but also a source of problems. I’m nonetheless grateful for everything,” he said on the show Entertainment & Lifestyle. Released in 2004, African Queen propelled the singer to international stardom and opened the door to prestigious honors, including the BET Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards and the MOBO Awards — a first for an African artist.
But the track has also been at the center of numerous controversies, notably over its authorship. Blackface, a former member of the group Plantashun Boiz, has for years accused 2Face of stealing the song from him. The latter acknowledged an initial collaboration while denying any fraudulent appropriation. More than twenty years after its release, African Queen continues to spark debate, especially since Billboard named it, in August 2025, “the greatest afrobeats song of all time.”