Singer Joe El Amadi recently opened up about the challenges he faced in his career due to his resemblance to Nigerian music icon 2Baba. On the Hoha podcast, Joe El explained how industry comparisons and accusations of mimicking 2Baba impacted his opportunities in music, leading some media personalities and music executives to deny him platform access.
Joe El recalled specific instances of exclusion. In 2013, for example, an event planner at Festac Carnival and a Sound City presenter blocked him from performing, citing his likeness to 2Baba as the reason. “The downsides of 2Baba comparisons almost broke me down,” he shared, explaining how industry insiders sometimes went as far as banning his music.
The singer said he began to gain acceptance after his collaboration with 2Baba on the 2015 track Hold On, which helped to reshape public perception. Reflecting on his decision to leave Kennis Music after a 12-year contract, Joe El shared, “The contract was over.”
