…Says, ‘Most of the things said or written about 2Baba are lies’
By Benjamin Njoku
Mrs. Rose Idibia, a retired teacher and proud mother of music legend Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, was one of the special guests at her son’s birthday dinner and album listening party held at Balmoral Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, last weekend.
She could not hide her excitement as she watched her son jump up and down, hugging guests and exchanging pleasantries. For her, 2Baba is a chosen child, and that is why, despite all he has been through in recent times, he is still standing and making his teeming fans across the world happy.
In this chat, she reflects on how 2Baba developed his passion for music and her family’s initial plans for him.
When you gave birth to 2Baba, did you expect what you are seeing today?
No, no, no, no. When you give birth to a child, you cannot predict the future of that child. That one is determined by God. But as a mother, you keep praying that the child will turn out to be something that will bring honour to his parents.
What was the story behind 2Baba’s birth?
There was a premonition that he might be a musician, but we didn’t know how great he was going to be. He had that passion for singing from childhood. As a child, he would be alone, beating anything he laid his hands on, making music out of it. We saw that trait, but we didn’t know that he was going to be this big.
So, there was no music in your family?
There is music in my family, but you know, at that time, music was not taken as anything. As a growing child in my father’s house, I had that passion for music. It’s just that I was discouraged because our culture then did not allow, especially women, to go into secular music. Our parents were always after, “You must go to school, you must have your education first, then after education, marriage.” So I had the trait, but I was not encouraged to pursue it. And that’s why I’m very happy that a child of mine came up with it and succeeded.
But when he told you he was going into music, what was the response like?
Initially, we were concerned about his education. We wanted him to go to school, go to the university, maybe become a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, or something like that. But when he chose a music path, our eyes were already opened. We saw potential in him that he might do better in music. As a teacher then, though retired now, we always encourage children to pursue their passion. If you don’t allow children to pursue their interest, you will kill the interest and they will not do well in the other field you are pushing them to pursue. So when we saw the potential of being a good musician in him, we gave up. We allowed him to pursue it.
As somebody who has been in the spotlight for a long time, with so many issues trailing his career, the good, the bad, the ugly — as a mother, how have you been able to withstand all these controversies surrounding your son?
What kept him going is that some of the things that have been published about him in the dailies and online are not true. If people are attacking you from every quarter, but you know yourself, it might hurt you, but because you know the truth, you can weather it. We know the truth about him. He’s my son. I know what he can do, and I know what he cannot do. And you know, celebrities of these days, sometimes they don’t just stay and commit sin by themselves. People force them to do so. He has gone through a lot. Lies upon him — newspapers, social media, they come up with all sorts of rubbish. But I thank God because he’s somebody who knows what he wants. And he forged ahead and made it. He may not be super rich, but he made it in music. His major aim of being a musician is to make a mark, which he has done. Whether society takes it or not, he has made it in music. He’s a legend. As far as Nigeria is concerned, 2Baba is a legend.
When you listen to his music, does it remind you of anything?
Yes! I feel elated! I keep thinking that this guy is highly talented. He is extremely talented, because of some of the things he says in his music, you will be thinking, “How did he come about this?” Look at the latest title of his forthcoming album: “The Oldest Young Man.” Can you imagine the meaning of that title? He’s really the oldest young man, because he started this Afrobeats music. But now, because society made him where he is today, it’s like starting all over again. Meanwhile, he was the oldest… He was there first, but now, he’s being looked at as somebody who is starting all over again. To me, that’s the meaning I read to the title of this album.
You said most of the things said or written about him were not true. What would you say about the people around him — his family, society?
Let me say God has been on his side. With all the hullabaloo, God is still with him. God loves him so much, because if it were to be any other person, he would have been broken down. But he’s a chosen child. They say the tongue has power. One of his earlier songs said, “Whoever God has made, nobody can curse.” I think he’s living that track till today. God has already chosen him to be great in music, so all the stones, bullets from all over the place are not touching him as they should. This is because God has already made him great. Nobody can curse whom God has blessed. And like the society you are talking about, ah, he’s loved by the society. I think you noticed his birthday party. 2Baba, Innocent Idibia, is a loved child by the society. Sometimes, when I follow him to an event, I see the way people mill around him, wanting to touch him, pose for shots with him. Sometimes, I begin to wonder, “Is this not my son?” He is indeed a blessed child.
