Entertainment
2 Face Moves On Despite Damaging Controversies
Nigerian music veteran,
Innocent ‘2 baba’ Idibia has been in the news over the years for his numerous involvements with his kids and baby mamas, but he has managed to advance his career whatever inspite the odds.
In 2015, the pop star celebrated his 40th birthday in style and had pretty much the entire Nigerian entertainment industry over at his gig, a true reflection of his successes in Africa’s music space.
The story of ‘2 Baba’, now often referred to as one of Africa’s most successful musician in recent years, began in the year 2000 when the group Plantashun Boiz dropped the album “Body and Soul” a pop project with heavy R and B and reggae influences among other genres.
The album was well received by Nigerian and non-Nigerian audiences with the hit songs ‘Don’t You Know,’ ‘Knock Me Off’, You and 1, ‘If Life and Eememma”, to name a few. The group was young, brilliant and completely in tune with the pop culture of the early 2000s, but one thing was unmistakable; 2 Face, now referred to as 2 Baba, was the ‘goose with the golden egg’.
In 2004, following the group splitting, Innocent ‘2 Baba’ Idibia crossed over from Dove Records and pitched his tent with Kennis Music under the leadership of the entertainment gurus, Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye which led to the album Face 2 Face.
The partnership opened a whole new vista for the singer and the Nigerian music industry, crossing our sounds into international stages and markets, bringing about multi-million naira endorsement deals, and resulted in the decade-defining ‘African Queen’-a song so good it made its way into Hollywood. 2 Baba went on to deliver’ magic’ in his following albums, ‘Grass to Grace’ Unstoppable, ‘Away and Beyond and ‘The Ascension’.
But like most successful men (from Solomon to Samson, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and then Mohammed Ali) Idibia has his limitations when it comes to women. It is a major part of his acclaim till date, the fact that he’s had several romantic relationships as well as fathered kids with different women had brought about several damaging controversies that tended to derail his focused career but 2 Baba still holds sway in the Nigerian music clan and beyond.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”