The Recording Academy has credited Nigerian music legend 2Baba, formerly known as 2Face Idibia, with playing a crucial role in Afrobeats’ journey to international recognition through his 2004 hit, African Queen.
In a recent feature, the GRAMMYs described the track as a landmark record that not only launched 2Baba’s solo career following the breakup of the iconic group Plantashun Boiz, but also helped cement his status as a foundational figure in the Afrobeats genre.
The Academy noted that African Queen demonstrated the global commercial appeal and cultural power of African music. The song earned 2Baba major accolades, including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best African Act and the MOBO Award in the same category in 2005. It also made history as the first Nigerian pop song to feature in a Hollywood film soundtrack, appearing in the 2006 American movie Phat Girlz — a milestone in the genre’s expansion beyond the continent.
