Yvonne Jegede Nollywood actress has opened up about her unexpected journey into the spotlight as one of the vixens in 2Baba’s legendary 2004 music video for African Queen.
In a recent interview on Nollywood Radio, Jegede shared behind-the-scenes details of how what seemed like a random decision turned into a memorable moment in Nigerian pop culture history.
According to the actress, she initially turned down the offer to appear in the music video, explaining that her heart was firmly set on acting and she had no interest in being a video vixen.
“When the director of African Queen first called me, I bluntly said, ‘No, I’m not interested,’” Jegede recalled. “I didn’t even know what African Queen was. Tuface had just gone solo from Plantashun Boiz, and I hadn’t heard any of his new songs. I just wasn’t paying attention.”
It wasn’t until she spoke with a friend later that evening that her stance began to change. Jegede casually mentioned the offer and the song’s title, only for her friend to react with wild excitement.
“He screamed, ‘I love that song! Go and do it!’ That was the moment I started to reconsider. I thought, maybe I should give it a shot,” she said.
By that night, she had called the director back, received instructions for the shoot, and got herself ready. The next morning, she found herself on set , and face-to-face with the music legend himself, 2Baba (then known as Tuface Idibia).
“It felt surreal,” she said. “Meeting him for the first time on that set… it hit me that I was part of something big. But even then, I knew that was not my path. I didn’t want to be a video vixen. I kept saying, ‘I just want to act.’”
Following the African Queen video, Jegede made another brief appearance in Djinee’s music video for Ego, but she clarified that it was more of a favour to a friend than a career move. The director of Ego was someone she knew personally and who was also working on music videos for groups like Styl-Plus at the time.
“I was even supposed to feature in Styl-Plus’s Olufunmi video,” she revealed. “But I was stuck in traffic and missed the shoot. That would have been another one for my CV.”
Despite these high-profile appearances, Jegede insists her heart remained rooted in film and storytelling.
“My acting career has been fulfilling, I’m not going to lie,” she said with pride. “Yes, African Queen gave me visibility, but my passion has always been acting. I never had the desire to build a career in music videos or to dance in front of the camera. I just wanted to act and tell stories.”
Reflecting on the experience, Jegede acknowledged that sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and seemingly small decisions can lead to iconic moments.
“Looking back, I’m glad I did it. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. But I knew from the start: acting is where I belong.”