Nigerian music legend Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Baba, has addressed the long-running debate over the ownership of his iconic track African Queen, saying the song was not stolen but co-written with his former groupmate, Blackface.

Speaking on the 234 Mzansi Podcast, which aired on YouTube on Monday, 2Baba acknowledged that while he wrote most of the lyrics, the song was the result of a collaboration between the two artists.

“It was a collaborative project. I did most of the writing, but we worked on it together,” he said during the interview.

Despite the shared creative process, Blackface has repeatedly accused 2Baba of taking sole credit for the song—an accusation 2Baba continues to find baffling and painful.

“I honestly don’t understand what his motives are. I’ve always respected him,” 2Baba said. “But the things he says… they’re just ridiculous and, to be honest, hurtful.”

The award-winning artist emphasized that legal records back his claims and that he prefers to let the facts speak for themselves rather than engage in public arguments.

Reflecting on the years-long feud, he added, “I still ask myself, why? What’s the reason behind all this? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

African Queen remains one of the most influential songs in Nigerian music history, credited with helping to introduce Afrobeats to a global audience.