Innocent Ujah Idibia (born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria), better known by his stage name 2Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer, song-writer and record producer. He is one of the most decorated and successful hip pop artists in Africa. He is consistently ranked as one the best African musicians of all-time. 2Face has received one MTV Europe Award, one World Music Award, five Headies Awards (Hip-hop award), four Channel O Music Awards and one BET award for his musical work, four MTV Africa Music Awards, one MOBO award, one KORA award, and numerous additional nominations. He was a member of the defunct Plantashun Boyz. The disbandment of Plantashun Boyz saw the release of Idibia’s debut album Face 2 face (2004), which established him as a viable solo artist.
Following the release of his debut album in 2004, he released his sophomore album in 2006, which contains hits “One love”, “True love, “4 Instance”. He is the founder of Hypertek Entertainment. He married Nigerian television personality and actress Annie Macaulay in 2013. They have one daughter named Isabel Idibia.
EARLY LIFE
Innocent Idibia was born in Jos, Nigeria. He is from the Idoma ethnic group in the southern part of Benue State, in central Nigeria.[1] He attended Saint Gabriel’s Secondary School in Makurdi, Benue State. He enrolled at 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 eventually dropped out to pursue his music career.
EARLY CAREER
While attending IMT, 2face Idibia started composing and singing jingles at the GB Fan Club at Enugu State Broadcasting Services (ESBS) in 1996. He moved to Lagos and started performing with 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.
PERSONAL LIFE
2Face as experienced near death events including gun shots from an armed robbery.
On May 2, 2012, 2Face Idibia and Annie Macaulay, a Nollywood actress, got married in Lagos, in a private ceremony. 2face announced his marriage via his Twitter page. He has a child with Annie Macaulay, and six children from previous relations.
Annie Macaulay and 2Face had their traditional wedding on the 8 March 2013 in Eket, Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria. The couple also had a white wedding in Dubai,on the 23 March 2013 on an island with Nigerian and Ghanaian celebrities all present to see the long term couple tie the knot.
PHILANTROPY
2Face has established an NGO called 2Face Idibia Reach-Out Foundation. Which motto is service to humanity. In 2009, 2Face was appointed as ambassador by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. He released a song “Man Unkind” in order to raise awareness on the menace of fake and sub-standard food and drug products in Nigeria. In 2009, he was presented with the prestigious International Youth Ambassador for Peace Summit and the Nigeria Youth Merit Award by the National Youth Council of Nigeria in recognition of his contributions to youth development in Nigeria.
DISCOGRAPHY
2004: Face 2 Face
2006: Grass 2 Grace
2008: The Unstoppable
2010: The Unstoppable International Edition
2012: Away & Beyond
AWARDS
Won
Best Male Vocalist 2002 Affinity Awards
Music of the Year 2004 Excellence Recognition Awards
Outstanding Contribution to the Entertainment Industry 2004 Award for Excellence
Best Male Vocalist 2004 A.M.E.N Awards
Song of the Year 2004 A.M.E.N Awards
Best New Act Male 2004 A.M.E.N Awards
Best Video 2004 A.M.E.N Awards
Song of the year for “African Queen” 2004 Nigeria Entertainment Awards New York
Best Album of the year 2004 Nigeria Entertainment Awards New York
Best Hip Hop and R&B Artiste 2004 Nigeria Entertainment Awards New York
Musician of the Year 2004 City People Awards for Excellence
Best Male Video 2005 Channel O Music Video Awards
Best African Video of the year 2005 Channel O Music Video Awards
Best African Act 2005 Channel O Music Video Awards
Best African Act 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
Best African Act 2005 Kora Awards
Best Musical Artiste 2005 Afro Nollywood Awards
African Song of The Year (Non Ghanaian) 2005 Ghana Music Awards
Special Recognition Award 2005 Hip Hop World Awards
The Outstanding Musician of the Year 2005 Black Heritage Awards for Excellence
Best Song of The Year 2005 G.C.E International Awards
Musician of The Year 2006 The Future Awards
Africa Break Through Artist of the Year 2006 Nigeria Entertainment Awards New York
Best Album of the Year 2007 Nigeria Entertainment Awards New York
Best African Act 2007 MOBO Awards
Song of the Decade 2007 Nigerian Music Awards
Best R’n'B / Pop album 2008 Hip-Hop World Awards
Best African Act 2008 Australian African Awards
Best selling Nigerian Artist 2008 World Music Awards, Monaco, Spain
Best R&B MTV Africa Music Awards 2009
Artist of the Year MTV Africa Music Awards 2010
Best Male MTV Africa Music Awards 2010
Most Gifted West African Video 2010 Channel O Music Video Awards
Best Pop Video for “Implication” 2010 SoundCity Awards
Best Western 2010 SoundCity Awards
New Champions For An Enduring Culture 2011 16th edition of the Annual THISDAY Awards presented by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Best International Act: Africa BET Awards of 2011[25] Album of the year 2011 Hip-Hop World Awards – “The Headies”
Artist of the year 2011 Hip-Hop World Awards – “The Headies”
Best R’n'B / Pop album 2011 Hip-Hop World Awards – “The Headies”
Nominated
Best African Act 2005 MOBO
Artist of the Year 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards
Best Male 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards
Best Video for “Enter the Place” 2009 MTV Africa Music Awards
Most Gifted African West Video for “Only Me” 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards
Most Gifted Video of the Year for “Only Me” 2011 Channel O Music Video Awards
SUMMARY
Birth name: Innocent Ujah Idibia
Also known as: 2Face, Tuface, 2Baba or Tubaba
Born: September 18, 1975 (age 38)
Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
Genres: Contemporary R&B, hip hop, Reggae, Afrobeat
Occupations: Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments: vocals
Years active: 1997–present
Labels Hypertek Entertainment, Konvict Muzik
Associated acts: Sound Sultan, R. Kelly, Beenie Man, Akon, Faze, Plantashun Boyz, BlackFace, Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige
Website: 2faceonline.com
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