Being a DJ in Nigeria is one of the underrated skills, I must say. Before you say no, have you ever thought about the music mix that we hear during parties that changes the whole atmosphere? From sad to happy and from happy to extremely happy, I must say our DJs deserve a lot of accolades.
However, I often ask myself this, “If DJing is not the only thing these people do, what other skills do they have? I mean, not all of our DJs went to a music school to learn the craft, you have to be skilful to be a DJ!
The likes of DJ Cuppy, DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Neptune and others studied other courses in school before taking up the DJ skill, and I was eager to find out if my hypothesis was true and guess what? It was!
Speaking to Jollof+, one of the profound DJs in Nigeria, DJ Tohbahd spoke about how he went into DJing, alongside his other profession. He also explained how he manages his craft and finances from both professions.
How did you start DJing?
I started DJing when I was still at university. In my second year, I found this software on my friend's laptop and asked him to share it with me. He did, and I played around with it, learning how DJing works.
Growing up, I always liked playing with music. This software allowed me to do that. And then I started trying it out, and from there, I started DJing at family parties.
I went to Unilag, and that helped too. Through the school’s social scene, I was able to develop my skills and pursue a professional DJ career. And that is how I am here today.
What is your name?
Well, my government name is Sadiq Okikiola Yusuf. I am Yoruba. I have a Muslim name and a Yoruba name.
What is that big break that brought you to the limelight?
The big break for me was a Nigerian wedding. I was very fortunate to DJ that wedding. And also, I realised that a wedding is one place where you get to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and from different sectors. I was able to meet people from that wedding. And then, I got plugged into different gigs.
What's the biggest challenge you have faced in the DJ business?
The biggest challenge will be dealing with people and their perception of how they see DJing. I feel like it affects how they see you as a person as well, how they interact with you, and how they even negotiate with you.
I think that is something that I constantly battle with. Because it's not something that people still see as a proper profession.
That is tough. What do you think can be done about it?
I mean, we can see now that things are changing. DJs hold a lot of power at events. And then, given that human beings are social beings, and how party culture has been now, I would say DJs are becoming a big deal.
Yeah, that is true.
We have a lot of power, especially in the social scene. And it's evident at the moment
Many people think that DJing is about playing good music and that is it. What are the important things that make you a DJ?
As I said earlier, DJs hold a lot of power at parties. That being said, you need to be charismatic. You need to be very confident. I know us DJs. Sometimes, we tend to be a bit shy. Shy with the crowd. You know, people feed off your energy as well.
Oh, I understand you
If they see that this guy is in a good mood, he is a good vibe, they tend to follow you. So, you need to be very positive, very confident, and very professional.
So, I mean, it's Tohbahd. You are a big brand. How do you manage your finances as you are building your brand?
Although financial literacy was not something I had when I first started DJing. Obviously, with time, I got to understand it. I learnt not to mix personal and business accounts. That was the first thing, and I built on that.
Once you can separate your finances, then track your events and expenses. Track your expenses, the cost you incur when you go to events and everything else. Track every little thing you are spending on. Those are the things I try to do, and it is helping me.
What are the saving tips you wish many DJs knew or that you knew when you were starting?
The saving tip would be not to buy the newest thing at the moment. You don't have to buy the fanciest things at the moment. Take care of your equipment and then save.
I would say, save for something. Have savings for specific things. Don't just save for savings' sake. You can say you are saving to buy equipment or for emergency funds for this.
That makes a lot of sense.
Don't just save money. Because if you don't have plans for that savings, you will end up spending it because you have no clear goal for it. I would say save towards something.
What is that financial mistake that you made when you started?
I wasn't paying myself. I was just spending money as it came. Sometimes I spent money on equipment, but there was no structure.
Most times, I paid for it because it's I either had money or I didn't have. When I said I didn't have money, it was like I had zero in my account and I was broke, you know.
Wow
Yeah. When I had structure, things changed. When you don't see your brand as a business, it is a problem. Businesses pay salaries. So, pay yourself. And then, it's easy for you to track your payments from there.
What's one thing that a lot of people do not know about you?
I like swimming a lot. Not just swimming, I like water. You rarely catch me [laughs], I know this sounds funny, but you won't catch me booking a hotel without a swimming pool. I might not use it, but they must have a swimming pool.
That is cool! What do you invest in outside of DJing?
There's crypto because it feels like that's what everybody's doing. I also invest in real estate. That's something I am trying to enter. I studied architecture, which kind of helped.
I am also looking to invest in more Fortune 500 companies in Nigeria. And investing in foreign currencies is something I am doing as well.
If you weren't a DJ, what would you be doing?
Oh, full architecture. I would be sitting in an office in front of the screen, clicking and drawing, going to sites. [Laughs]
What DJ equipment do you swear by?
Pioneer DJSZ2!
I got mine in 2017, and I still use it. It has been eight years now. It was a tool that I initially struggled with, but then I learnt how to use it properly, and it became a blast.
It's one of the best DJ products that has ever been made. So, yeah. Pioneer products, generally.
From everything that you have said, the DJ business can be a lot. What are the things that keep you grounded?
Family first. These are people who invested in me properly, so I don't want to let them down. And then fear of God. So, but yeah.
Yeah
Generally, the fact that this is something I enjoy doing, and it's something I see myself doing long term. So, I always have to keep improving myself. And I am willing to put in the work.
That's great. Finally, do you advise someone who wants to be a successful DJ in Nigeria?
You have to put in the work. There are no shortcuts. Any DJ you have seen now, maybe they went viral for something, they started from somewhere.
You need to put in the hours, work on your craft, listen to music, and listen to other DJs as well.
Learn from them. You can try out what you have done and then improve on it, or you can create your version of it.
Thank You So Much, DJ Tohbahd
My pleasure.
Jollof+ is a savings app designed by Baobab Bank to provide savings solutions for everyday Nigerians. It is insured by NDIC and licensed by CBN. Download now on your Apple Store or Google Play Store.
