Popular Nigerian singer-songwriter and record producer Innocent Ujah Idibia, better known by his stage name 2Face Idibia turns 37 today. He was born on September 18, 1975. He was a member of the defunct R&B/hip hop group Plantashun Boyz.
Biography: 2Face was born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. He is from the Okpokwu local government area and from the Idoma ethnic group in the southern part of Benue State, in central Nigeria. He attended Mount Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue State. He schooled briefly in the Institute of Management & Technology, Enugu (IMT), where he did his preliminary National Diploma course in business administration and management. While attending IMT he performed at school organized shows and parties, as
well as other regional schools such as the University of Nigeria and Enugu State University of Science & Technology. He would not graduate college.
well as other regional schools such as the University of Nigeria and Enugu State University of Science & Technology. He would not graduate college.
While attending IMT, 2face Idibia started composing and singing jingles at the GB Fan Club at Enugu State Broadcasting Services (ESBS) in 1996. He would move to Lagos and started performing with fellow rapper BlackFace, forming the Plantashun Boyz. He had met BlackFace while attending IMT. He started calling himself “2Face” in 1996. He cited the reasoning as “trying to demarcate my personal life with my business life.
In 2006, his song “African Queen” was used in the soundtrack for the film Phat Girlz, which was released internationally. The Plantashun Boyz came together briefly in 2007 to record an album which they titled Plan B. He also released a promotion album in 2008 releasing the single, “Enter the Place”. Problems with album distribution in 2007 caused as shift of the release date of the album from 2008 to 2009. Tuface released two singles from the international version of his Unstoppable album and is the first Nigerian artist to have an appropriately priced international album.
2face Idibia released The Unstoppable International Edition album in 2010. For the album, he won two awards at the 2010 SoundCity Music Video Awards. He also won the Channel O Music Video Awards Best African Western award and the MTV Africa Music Awards for Best Male and Artist of the year.
Upon leaving the music label Kennis Music, he set up his own record label known as Hypertek Entertainment. He is part of the Sony All African One8 Project alongside seven other musicians across Africa recording a single with R. Kelly and Prince Lee titled “Hands Across the World”. He is the first non-Liberian to become an honorary member of the Liberian music society in recognition for his outstanding contribution to the growth of music in Africa.
He is happily married to Nollywood actress, Annie Macaulay who has a daughter for him. He has five other child from other relationships.