Nigerian music superstar, 2Face Idibia has finally had his dream to work with world renowned singer/songwriter/producer R. Kelly come true via the Airtel ONE8 project .  After widespread hype in 2009 that 2Face had collaborated with R. Kelly on a song titled ‘Flex’, the shocking news that R. Kelly had denied working with the Nigerian star followed.

According to reports published in Nigeria, 2Face had hinted that collaboration with the American R&B star was brokered by Toyin Subair, CEO, HiTV Cable Network and that , he (2Face) actually met R. Kelly in the US before recording the song.  However when R. Kelly visited Nigeria for a performance, it was reported that R. Kelly denied even knowing about 2Face. R. Kelly was said to have listened to the song they were meant to have done together and he laughed over it, insisting that he made the beat a long time ago, and that it must have been tapped on the internet.

City People magazine also reported that 2Face’s manager; Efe Omoreige had the following to say about the said collaboration: “Yes the duet was real. 2Face recorded with R.Kelly but not in the same studio. They met but couldn’t achieve being in the studio at the same time because of their tight schedule. R.Kelly did his own part and sent it to 2Face and that is all about it.”

However, through the ONE 8 project conceived realized by mobile network Airtel in partnership with the first major Pan-African record company Rockstar 4000, an affiliate of Sony Music Entertainment, 2Face finally met and recorded in the Chicago studio of R. Kelly.  With the exception of Ghana’s 4×4, all the other African stars on the project namely,  Ugandan hip-hop kingpin Navio, Zambia’s biggest super star JK , Tanzanian heartthrob Alikiba, hip hop duo from Gabon -Movaizhaleine,  Fally Ipupa from the DRC and Kenya’s sassy Amani, met and recorded with R. Kelly.

On the official Airtel ONE8 footage on the making of the first single, “Hands across the World” it appeared that there was some form of familiarity between R. Kelly and 2Face. When the African stars met R. Kelly for the first time, it was hugs and greetings all round but for 2Face in particular, R. Kelly rubbed his hands on his bald head. Typical of a biblical blessing rite, 2Face bent down for the R&B icon to bless him on the head.