Posted by Olumide Iyanda on
Love him or hate him, 2Face Idibia has entered his name into the history books as one of the biggest musical revelations that ever came out of Nigeria.
Love him or hate him, 2Face Idibia has entered his name into the history books as one of the biggest musical revelations that ever came out of Nigeria. Only last Thursday, he was declared the best African act at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon, Portugal. It was the first time that honour would be bestowed on anybody.
That 2Face had the potentials to be big was evident even in his days as member of the Plantashun Boiz trinity. That all-boy music trio of Faze, Blackface, and 2Face sent signals back then in 2001 with their debut album, Body and Soul.
Remedies may have fanned the embers of an emerging hip-hop culture in Nigeria with their Sakomo song, but it was the Plantashun Boiz that made it into a big ball of fire with their velvety smooth songs. And they didn't have to use swear words or grab their crotch. The three later went solo but the two other members of the group are still trying to catch up with 2Face.
2Face is by no means the best musician in the country right now. While he is quite a talent, but like they say in football, he is lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Much of the Idoma, Benue State-born artiste's success can be traced to Kennis Music. The record label fronted by Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye is reputed for turning ordinary musicians into superstars. Who will forget Paul ‘Play' Dairo, Tony Tetuila, Eedris Abdulkareem, Azadus, Kenny St. Brown, Kingsley Ike, Mike Aremu, and Wale Thompson, among many others?
Unlike many people who parade as music executives, the Kennis Music crew learnt the ropes from the big players from different parts of the world. For them the business part of showbiz is as important, if not more, than the show.
While others were busy trying to rationalise 2Face's dream of going solo, Kennis Music took him under its wing and honed him into a potential star. They changed his looks, his attitude and buried him in the studio. The result was Face 2 Face, the album that turned the young man's life full circle. Like the album by Grammy-winning Babyface, which bears the same title, 2Face's debut was a collection of carefully chosen songs that celebrated the musician's coming of age. With tracks like Nfana Ibanga, Keep on Rocking, Ole, No Holy Pass, and the stupendously popular African Queen, 2Face was the man to beat.
His label just didn't stop at releasing an album that appealed to the craving of lovers of pop music, they shot him a video for African Queen that could best be described as excellent.
In no time, 2Face became the template of what a populist young musician should look like. Although he is not a poster boy for formal education, he comes across as a harmless and very respectful young man, at least in public. Little wonder he became the darling of corporate Nigeria. Not only does he play at sellout concerts, he practically pushed everybody else off the stage. Then came MTV Base.
The coming of the pan-African music channel, a member of the global MTV franchise, meant that African and particularly Nigerian stars would be thrown open to a larger audience. With African Queen almost acquiring the status of a national anthem, it was not surprising that 2Face was Nigeria's biggest offering to MTV. His music went all over the world and while that was happening he got a to-die-for endorsement deal with the makers of Guinness Extra Smooth.
The MTV award is not the first gong that would be coming his way since he went solo. He has received almost all the notable music awards in the country. Outside Nigeria, he has bagged awards from Channel O and was a nominee for the African category of the MOBO award held in London in September. With the MTV award it is almost certain that Revelation of the Year award for which he had been nominated in the KORA award scheduled for South Africa in December is just a walkover.
Some have argued that his act is imitative of present day time-bound music of the West like many popular Nigerian hip-hoppers before him, but 2Face knows he has more than his talent and know-how going for him. He has survived the breakup of Plantashun Boiz and the cut throat competition on the local music scene. He even survived a wicked blow dealt him by armed robbers who went to his home early in the year.
Like he sang: ‘Who Jah bless no one can curse'.