Benson Chukwu
Nollywood star Yvonne Jegede has revealed the unexpected journey behind her appearance in 2Baba’s legendary “African Queen” music video.
She nearly turned down the chance, as she shared in a candid interview on the Nollywood on Radio podcast.
Jegede admitted she never aspired to be a video vixen, focusing solely on acting—her music video roles were mere coincidences.
The actress, now 41, confessed she wasn’t even aware of 2Baba’s solo career post-Plantashun Boiz at the time.
“When the director first reached out, I flat-out refused. ‘No, I’m not interested,’ I told him. But later that night, just hours before the 9 a.m. shoot, something changed,” she recalled.
“I hadn’t heard any of Tuface’s solo tracks back then. ‘African Queen’ meant nothing to me—I was clueless about the song,” she added.
“Then, chatting with a friend, it hit me. ‘Michael, someone asked me to do this ‘African Queen’ thing,’ I mentioned. He instantly replied, ‘That song’s fire—go for it!’
“So I called the director back, got the details, prepped my hair overnight, and showed up. Seeing Tuface in person was surreal—‘Wow, this is legit.’ But no, I still didn’t want to be a vixen. Acting was my only passion,” she emphasized.
Her second music video appearance, for Djinne’s ‘Ego,’ was purely a favor. “The director was a friend who also worked with Styl Plus. I was supposed to be in ‘Olufunmi,’ but traffic ruined it,” she laughed.
“After those two, I swore off dancing—acting was my calling. But looking back, it’s been fulfilling. The journey, the growth—it’s all worth it,” Jegede reflected.
Grace Effiong
