28: EXAMINING 2BABA'S CELEBRITY IDENTITY EVOLUTION THROUGH INNOCENT IDIBIA AND FACEKUERADE THEORY IN AFRICAN POP CULTURE

Celebrity identity in contemporary Nigerian popular culture is shaped by the interaction between personal identity, artistic representation, media visibility, and public expectations. This paper examines the relationship between Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, and the construction of celebrity identity through the template of Facekuerade popular culture. Drawing on Sunday Enessi Ododo’s Facekuerade theory, the paper investigates how the relationship between the individual and the publicly performed persona can illuminate the complexities of celebrity representation. It adopts a qualitative approach based on textual and performance analysis of selected musical works, public statements, interviews, and media reports relating to 2Baba. The paper argues that 2Baba’s public identity can be understood as a continuing negotiation between the private individual, the performing musician, and the celebrity figure produced through media representation. It also maintains that ethical celebrity performance requires a critical examination of the relationship between public image, personal responsibility, audience expectations, and the consequences of public statements. The paper concludes that Facekuerade offers a productive African-centred analytical perspective for examining the multiple identities associated with contemporary Nigerian celebrities, provided that its original cultural and ritual context is acknowledged.