Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, better known as Blackface, recently shared how he brought together the members of the now-defunct Plantashun Boiz.
The Nigerian singer revealed on the Fresh Off The Boat podcast that he was instrumental in introducing both Faze and 2Baba to the group, which formed around 2000 and disbanded in 2004 following 2Baba’s decision to pursue a solo career with Kennis Music.
Blackface explained that he first met 2Baba (then known as 2Face) while they were both in secondary school, though they belonged to different groups at the time.
2Baba’s group could have been huge if they had a mastermind, Blackface recalled. “When I heard his voice, I thought, these guys can go international. After finishing school before 2Baba, Blackface approached him and convinced him to join the group.
Reflecting on his own background, Blackface said, “Music and agriculture go hand in hand for me. My father was a soldier who returned to farming after retirement, and I would always sing and write songs while working on the farm. That’s where my creativity started.”
The final piece of the group came when Blackface encountered Faze. “I liked his vocals and personality. I felt he was the third member we were missing,” he said. Though there was initially some resistance to adding Faze, Blackface persuaded 2Baba that Faze’s unique voice and character would complete the group. “We needed to recruit the best of the best,” he explained. “Once we understood why he was needed, any pushback disappeared.”
Blackface also revealed that in the early days, he covered the cost of studio sessions out of his own pocket. “I started by paying for our studio time. Later, when we began earning money as a group, we reinvested it together into our music production.”
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