Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has revealed how she nearly missed out on appearing in 2Baba’s legendary 2004 music video African Queen — a role that would go on to become a cultural milestone in Nigerian pop history.
In a recent interview, Jegede shared that she initially declined the offer to feature in the video, explaining that she wasn’t interested in becoming a music video vixen. At the time, her sole focus was on building a career in acting.
“I didn’t even know the song,” she admitted.
“Tuface had just gone solo from Plantashun Boiz, and I hadn’t heard any of his solo work. So when they mentioned African Queen, I was like, ‘What song is that?’”
It wasn’t until later that day, during a casual chat with a friend, that Jegede began to reconsider. After she mentioned the offer, her friend reacted with excitement.
“He screamed, ‘I love that song, go and do it!’ That was when I thought, maybe I should,” she recalled.
Jegede called the director back, got the details, and showed up on set the next morning — where she met 2Baba for the first time.
“It was surreal. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
“But even then, I was sure of one thing — I didn’t want to become a video vixen. I kept telling everyone, I just want to act.”
Despite the brief nature of her appearance in the video, Jegede remained focused on her acting ambitions and went on to build a successful career in Nollywood. Her cameo in African Queen remains one of the most memorable moments in Nigerian music video history — a defining visual she almost turned down.