Singer Joe El Amadi recently opened up about the challenges he’s faced due to his striking resemblance to fellow artist 2Baba. He shared that constant comparisons have held back his career, with some industry figures actively blocking him from media platforms because of his similarity to the legendary musician. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Joe El revealed, “The comparisons to 2Baba nearly broke me. Some presenters at Cool FM and Sound City, and even an event planner at Festac Carnival in 2013, denied me access simply because I looked like 2Baba. At Club Rumours, a Sound City presenter told me he personally instructed his station not to play my songs, accusing me of imitating 2Face. At Festac Carnival, the event planner wouldn’t let me perform for the same reason. And at Cool FM, a presenter refused to interview me, saying he couldn’t talk to someone ‘imitating’ 2Face.”
He added that these challenges weighed on him, and he often turned to his mother and record label boss, Baba Keke, who advised him to stay calm. He even recalled attempts to greet 2Baba in public that were blocked by members of 2Baba’s team.
However, Joe El credits his 2015 collaboration with 2Baba on the song “Hold On” for helping to shift public perception and establish his identity as an artist. Regarding his departure from Kennis Music, he simply said, “It was over,” indicating his contract had reached its natural end.
