Emeka Nweze
2Baba’s career in the Nigerian music industry has been nothing short of legendary and deserves all the plaudits. He remains one of the most recognized and respected Nigerian artists ever. For 20 years, the legend has managed to stay relevant despite the rapidly changing times and continuously remains on the lips of music lovers all over Nigeria. 2Baba has consistently delivered countless groundbreaking hit singles and albums, and his exploits have heralded some of the growth that the Nigerian music industry has experienced over the years.
One cannot fully understand the greatness of 2Baba, but meanwhile, here are five reasons why 2Baba is the greatest.
African Queen
African Queen wasn’t just the song that made 2Baba a global star, but the song caught the world’s attention and launched a new era of how commercially successful an African song can be. African Queen broke many grounds and paved way for future successes of Nigerian music. The love song was even used in the soundtrack for the film Phat Girlz, which was released internationally, an unprecedented achievement.
Pioneer
2Baba has many firsts to his name, and this makes him a true pioneer in Nigerian music. With his hit song African Queen, 2Baba set in motion the international demand for Nigerian and African music in general. In 2010, he became the first Nigerian artist to have an appropriately priced international album with The Unstoppable International Edition. 2Baba is also the first non-Liberian to become an honorary member of the Liberian music society in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the growth of music in Africa.
Discography
Very few Nigerian artists can boast a discography as impressive as 2Baba’s. In his 20 years career in the Nigerian music industry, 2Baba has released eight highly successful studio albums and countless number of hit singles such as African Queen, Implication, Only me, and the very recent Amaka
Africa’s most decorated and awarded artiste
2Baba is undisputedly Africa’s most decorated artist ever. His numerous awards include one MTV Europe Music Award (EMA), one World Music Award, five Headies Awards (Hip-hop award), four Channel O Music Video Awards and one BET award for his musical work, four MTV Africa Music Awards, one MOBO award, one KORA award, 3 Afrima Awards, among other nominations.
Non-profit work
Along with his outstanding music career, 2Baba also makes out time to carry out philanthropic work. The 2Baba Foundation is an NGO established by 2Baba, centred around nation building, peaceful co-existence, and accountability in governance. He has also been named ambassador for the Red Cross society as well as for National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). More so, In January 2017, 2Baba announced a partnership with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He made an initial donation of over US$11,000 to UNHCR for IDPs and returnees.
Consistency
The year 2019 marks 20 years since 2Baba started his journey in the Nigerian music industry, and it is safe to say that even after such a long time, the man who stole our hearts with African Queen hasn’t slowed down a bit. 2Baba has consistently remained relevant in Nigerian music not just by name but with quality music. Even as the years have passed, and different eras have come and gone, 2Baba has always adapted and has refused to be knocked down the pecking order. He still holds some of the major endorsement deals in the Industry such as Guinness, Nigerian Breweries, Glo, Campari among others.
The veteran keeps waxing stronger and shows no signs of slowing down.
