2Baba gets honour from the academia

At an event organised on 20 March, the ‘African Queen’ singer was named a fellow of the School of Music. The honour was conferred by Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.

He was a guest at the department’s first public lecture and fellowship awards event, which took place at the grounds of the university. As part of his visit to Ile-Ife, a day before the event, 2Baba visited the town’s royalty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II.

The artist’s new honour was given in recognition of 2Baba’s lasting presence in the Nigerian music industry. His first encounter with national fame came when he was a member of the group Plantashun Boiz. After going solo, he signed a contract with a different record label and released his debut album Face 2 Face.

That album’s success and the popularity of one of its singles, ‘African Queen’, catapulted 2face, as he was known then, to a new level of stardom. His second album Grass to Grace was also successful, producing the singles ‘For Instance’ and ‘True Love’. Both albums are viewed as critically acclaimed and commercially rewarding projects. Other albums from 2Baba include 2008’s Unstoppable, 2012’s Away and Beyond and 2014’s The Ascension.

2Baba’s rise coincided with the increased attention Nigerian pop music received across the continent, so much so that for many listeners, contemporary Nigerian pop is linked to his spearheading effort. Of his recording artist peers, Idibia is the sole act still releasing singles that receive heavy airplay.

“Being the torchbearer for the new pop movement is a role I do not take lightly,” he said upon receiving the honour. “I am honoured to have been found worthy of such noble albeit enormous responsibility.”

Besides receiving the fellowship, 2Baba gave a paper at the event. His paper, which drew on his first-hand experience of pop music in his country, was titled Two Decades of Afropop in Nigeria: The Perspective of 2Baba.

The lecture was followed by a performance from the artist. Attendees at the event watched as 2Baba drew tracks from his extensive discography.