- Speaks About How He Started The Club As a Small Bar
Tope Adedeji, better known as Topside in the entertainment industry is a young entrepreneur and the co-owner of Club De’Rock in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, one of the best clubs in Southwest Nigeria.
In a recent chat with OLUDOTUN AJIBOLA, Topside discussed why he decided to venture into club business in Ibadan and how he sacrificed his popular brand name for his Club De’Rock as well as how he plans to takeover the nightlife business in the city of Ibadan. Excerpts:
How has it been, being the CEO of the popular Club De ‘Rock in Ibadan?
As everybody will say, it has not been easy but we thank God, God has been so faithful. We have come a long way in one way or the other. If we are to count years, it has been eight to nine years now that we been in the system. So far, God has been faithful.
Entertainment covers many aspects, why did you choose nightlife?
In anything you are going to do in life, the purpose must be to make money or for passion. Nightlife business has been what I have a passion for, even though people see me has a very cool person. Some people have been asking how I can be doing this type of business when there are other businesses like office work, but this is what I am passionate about. I started it as a small bar,you know anything you want to do in life; don’t wait until you have the whole money; start it, no matter how small. It started nine years ago around Akinyemi Area, off Ring Road Ibadan, though the intention then was just to do it because I like having people around me, but as God would have it, what I had in mind became bigger, beyond just a passion, it turned to money. You know when you are investing in something and it turns out well, you will want to do more.
How did you come up with the name De Rock?
Well, everyone knows me to be Topside but the name De Rock has caused a lot of argument among people, especially those who wondered why the name was changed from Topside to De Rock. This name was given to the club by my younger brother during the rebranding process. Ibadan people actually want something new and we were leaving the former location for somewhere bigger so we decided to give it a new name. Another thing is when you have faced a lot of challenges and troubles in life at the long run you become a solid rock, though it goes beyond that anyway. And I want to say this, you know De Rock is not owned by me only, I have a partner and his name is SSG, so when I asked him what did he think about the name, he quickly bought into it; and don’t forget that people already knew it as Topside before, we thought about how we could fly the name to still maintain the same popularity. So we swung into a lot of deliberations and decided to do our publicity as “De Rock la Topside” (meaning De Rock still owned by Topside) but when family and friends saw the name, they got angry that why would you change the name you have been building for years? So I told them Topside is still Topside; we have Topside motors, Topside Real Estate but De Rock is on its own. We were just trying to do something that people would accept and to God be the glory, it has been three years that the name has been in existence and it has been a major turnaround for me as a person.
Considering the huge amount of money you spent to put this up in Ibadan, why didn’t you consider Lagos, especially with the belief that Lagos is happening place?
Is there anybody who doesn’t know Alao Arisekola in Nigeria? No!
Where did he reside and do his business? Is it not about Ibadan? There are lots of people, who have made names for themselves from Ibadan, so why must we all go to Lagos before we make things happen? I have been nominated for so many big awards among many other bigger clubs in Lagos like Quilox, Cubana, etc. and we won from here in Ibadan as De Rock, I have been nominated as Topside in Lagos as most creative entrepreneur even among big wings and I won so why must I be in Lagos before I get things done?
I know what people want, I know what I have to offer; it is not like I just woke up one day and I decided to do something. This is business and it was properly studied before going into it and it has been accepted, to God be the glory. Ibadan is the largest city in West Africa, according to records so why must I be in Lagos? Besides, I have begged God to make me a nation from Ibadan and God has done it, though I am not from Ibadan. I actually come to Ibadan to do business.
What do you think makes your club standout among others?
Consistency. You know, you have to be consistent in anything you are doing. I also studied the market, what do people really want? Ibadan people actually want new things; so far so good there is no big artiste in Nigeria that we have not brought to Ibadan. Few years ago, some of the clubs in Ibadan would charge money before you enter into the club, so I was like instead of me to be charging before people entering into my club, let me just come up with something different and allow free entry. The only requirement will only be that you dress well, because I know I will make money from the drinks you’re going to buy and I will give you what you want which is quality service. It is only De Rock that will serve you other complimentary chops when buying drinks, chops as groundnut and sweets. Though these are the smallest things, they go along way.
Like how many Nigeria artistes have you brought to your club officially?
When we talk of artistes, award-winning artistes that have been to different countries have been to Club De’Rock; the likes of Olamide, DBanj, CDQ, Davido, Mayorkun and so many others. But in Lagos, you hardly see them in the club, they prefer going outside Lagos for clubbing because they believe people will appreciate them more than Lagos people who see them often; though we spend money to bring them down to Ibadan.
This is one of the major keys we focus on because people in Ibadan actually want to see celebrities.Another thing is that De Rock is the only club that runs for 24hours in Ibadan. We don’t have a padlock since the day we opened it. We have people that run shifts morning and evening and this has never happened in the history of Ibadan but we made it happen. It is almost three years now and it is still happening.
You sound so energetic, what normally motivates you?
Success something you are doing and it is working, something you are doing and it is not failing, you are bringing something to the table and people are accepting it, you will want to do more. The Club De Rock is not the only brand we have in Ibadan; we also have De Rock Lounge within the next six weeks we are having another De Rock restaurant making three in the same Ibadan because people want more of us. We have De Rock Club in Palms Mall, also De Rock lounge in Elebu, now we are thinking of opening another one in Liberty/Oke Ado axis and other around Akobo soonest because I noticed a lot of guys do come that far so why can’t we have something there too
You spend huge amounts of money to bring artistes to Ibadan, is it that Ibadan people are paying you more? You know there is this belief that people in Ibadan don’t appreciate quality things, how true is that?
We have different types of customers and my target customers are different from those of other clubs or lounges in Ibadan. The people I am giving my services to are appreciative of it and that is why I have to do more. They know if they tell me that they want Jay Z or Drake today, I will definitely work towards it for them; they know this guy will do it. I want people to stop comparing Ibadan to Lagos if they can’t compare Lagos to Abuja or Port Harcourt, why always comparing Ibadan to Lagos. Ibadan on its own is doing fine, let me tell you something that makes Ibadan clubs to be superior toother clubs in this Nigeria, Ibadan spends more money on the interior part than clubs in Lagos and the country at large, go to other clubs, the likes of Club De Rock, Mauve Lounge, Ebevande, GQ, and many others, we spend more money on quality equipment and interior. I have been to the biggest clubs in Lagos, I don’t want to mention names and when I got there, I asked myself, what is now so special about this Lagos club of a thing? Wemake sure our interior decorations are international standard and people outside the country can attest to that.
What are your dos and don’ts?
I’m a very free person and I like relating with people a lot, in my relationship with people, I love and appreciate loyalty. I have some guys who have been working with me for more than seven years now, some got admission while working with me, graduated and still come back, and some got married while still working with me, some got their own car and all that. I am a very simple person and I don’t normally have issues with people once you’re loyal. I am an administrator and I can tell you that I can manage anybody of any kind of character.
Can you share with us some of your greatest challenges?
My greatest challenge was when my former club got demolished by the past administration in Oyo State. It was a very terrible experience then, but to God be the glory, I was able to overcome the struggle. You can imagine investing in a business of over N 20million as a young chap coming up, thinking you’ve arrived and doing fine in business and it got demolished in your presence without any tangible reason, using political power. That is how a lot of people die of depression or commit suicide but all thanks to God for everything.
I had to change my orientation in order to fit in the society. You know if you’re no more a landlord, you can turn yourself to a tenant, with time you will still become whatsoever you have been destined for in life. And that will be my greatest challenge in life, and that is why I will advise everybody not to put their eggs in a basket, do different businesses; don’t focus only on one business.
Thank God I was selling cars then and that was what actually helped me a little bit to bounce back. Thank God for all.
How do you unwind?
Well, like a normal person, I choose to stay away from friends, I don’t keep intimate friends. Any friend I want to have is strictly at the office, I make my house my relaxation centre, and normally I go to the club in the evening at 6 pm and come back in the morning around 5-6am. Immediately I come into my house, I don’t go out I’ll rest at home throughout. I only play table tennis which is my favourite sport once in a while with my friend, or let me call him my oga, Alhaji Taye Currency. We stay close to each other and we play together some of the time. And I do go swimming once in a while too.
What’s your advice for struggling entrepreneurs?
My advice for young entrepreneurs, don’t wait until you have much, start small and dream big. I started my business with N 5000 which I used to buy the clipper I used to start a barbing salon under the shade in Ore, Ondo State then. But now, so far so good, we know where we are. Don’t wait for any perfect moment; it will never come, make the moment to be perfect.
