There are a lot of Legends that have been crowned in the Nigerian music industry but not a lot still command pop culture appeal many years after they first burst into the scene. But one who has managed to remain relevant since he first burst out is Innocent ‘2Baba‘ Idibia.
Usually, the challenge for many of Nigeria’s music legends is sustaining their presence in the scene for as much as they can. Some just spend a few years in the industry and are sometimes only remembered for their impact while they were around.
But for 2Baba, he has managed to stay active every year since 1999 when he first surfaced with his erstwhile group, ‘Plantashun Boys. Nineteen years after, the question remains, how does he do it?
The answer is not farfetched. 2baba has managed to always drop hit songs that are party starters, right from the early years of his solo career. In the last two decades, Nigerians have become more of a pop-oriented audience who just want to dance to fast-paced music with energetic percussions and heavy bass.
Always more of conscious type of artiste who tries to use more of his music for social activism, 2Baba still manages to let people always remember he still got the juice like when he first gave us ‘Keep On Rocking‘ (2004), Implication (2008), Enter The Place (2008) and Ihe ne Me (2012).
‘AMAKA’, the latest single by the Hypertek boss featuring DMW shooting star Peruzzi is in the league of classic pop songs just like those mentioned above. The record is the biggest song in the country at the moment, displacing songs like Wizkid‘s ‘Fake Love’ featuring Duncan Mighty and Tekno‘s ‘Jogogo’ and if you don’t agree then there is nothing really I can do for you. That there’s even a need for comparison between 2Baba who turns forty-three in September and heavyweight African pop youngsters like Wizkid, Davido, Kizz Daniel and others show how much reputation he still commands in pop culture.
The song is not a fluke, neither do we like it just because it was done by Nigeria’s most beloved artiste of all time. The lyrical content of the song for Nigerian guys is a very relatable scenario in which a larger percentage have experienced in their adolescent life.
Nigeria has a very sexually active youth population where a large number of romantic relationships spring up off social media hookups from platforms like Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. 2Baba being able to reference all that in his music also tells that he is very well in tune with what’s in vogue.
Why many of his peers seem to have been left in history is because they fail or struggle to reinvent themselves and measure up with the current trends. Some still make music like they did when they were first emerging. Some never really evolve and even stay adamant about it.
But not 2Baba! Aside from other songs he might release to satisfy his personal convictions as a grown man who is seen as a social role model, every year 2Baba drops that one song that caters to the ever-evolving and dynamic Nigerian pop audience who basically dictate the sound of the Nigerian music space.
Always one to create his unique lane, in 2017, 2Baba dropped ‘Gaga Shuffle’ in the midst of the whole ‘Shaku Shaku’ wave. ‘Holy Holy’ went on to win an award at the last edition of the HEADIES. ‘Amaka’ will definitely get nominated in all Nigerian music awards later this year and guess what, it will definitely win in one or two categories.
Every year, 2Baba continues to shut down major event in Nigeria and around the world with breathtaking performances that leave audiences spellbound. There is never a shortage of classic songs to render. That’show to stay relevant and active in the Nigerian music industry!