July 27, 2025 • 36 mins
In this insightful episode of Beyond Saint, Mike G, partner at UTA and a seasoned music agent, shares his two-decade journey in the entertainment world. From starting in radio sales to managing top artists like Akon, Chris Brown, and Cardi B, Mike illustrates how faith and fear impact personal and professional life. Born and raised in Los Angeles with an Egyptian Coptic Orthodox background, Mike discusses how his spirituality shapes his career and decisions. He emphasizes operating from faith over fear, highlighting personal challenges like overcoming family adversities. This episode provides a compelling look at the intersection of faith, psychology, and the high-stakes music business, offering inspiration for anyone striving to balance belief and ambition.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Who do you represent now?
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
I'm fortunate enough to work with a number of
clients.
You know, I work with the KidLeroy.
I work with Lil Wayne.
I work with Cardi B.
I work with Lotto.
I work with Wizkid.
I work with Busta Rhymes.
SPEAKER_02 (00:12):
Have you ever felt ostracized being in the kind of
business that you're in?
SPEAKER_00 (00:17):
I haven't personally experienced like, oh, he's
Christian, he's Catholic.
It's really based off merit andmy work at the end of the day.
I want God to be involved inevery decision I make
professionally, personally.
I'm a big believer.
Like you could literally readthe book of Proverbs and apply
it to anything in life and you'dbe very successful.
It doesn't really matter whatbusiness you're in.
I feel like fear holds everybodyback.
(00:40):
Like I'm never gonna let feardictate something I really wanna
do.
SPEAKER_02 (00:47):
We're here today, Beyond Saint, with Mike G.
What's your actual last name?
Can you say, or you don't
SPEAKER_00 (00:54):
want to say?
Yes, my actual last name isGirgis.
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
Girgis, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (00:57):
And I knew when I got into the industry that
people were going to have a hardtime announcing it, just because
they just never know how toannounce it.
So I thought Mike G would stick,and it actually worked.
SPEAKER_02 (01:07):
Okay, and what's your background?
What are you culturally?
I
SPEAKER_00 (01:11):
am Egyptian.
ethnicity, born in Los Angeles,raised in Los Angeles.
Oh,
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
really?
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (01:19):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:20):
Kaiser Hospital on Sunset.
Really?
Very LA.
Oh,
SPEAKER_02 (01:23):
very LA.
Okay.
I was not expecting that.
I thought you were really goingto say you were from like New
York or I don't know, some likeChicago, but Mike G.
I get Gurgis is a talent.
music agent at UTA?
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
Correct.
I'm a partner at UTA.
SPEAKER_02 (01:39):
Oh, you're a partner at UTA.
Oh, that's amazing.
Okay.
Tell me a little bit about yourbackground.
SPEAKER_00 (01:44):
Okay.
Yeah.
So I've been in theentertainment industry for about
close to like 20 plus years.
Out of college, I worked inradio.
So I had just basicallycorporate sales background,
advertising sales.
It's where I really gotintroduced to the music
business.
And in about 2007, 2008, I was abig fan of the show Entourage.
(02:06):
Everybody.
Yes.
I used to watch the show and Iwould tell myself, I'm like, you
know what?
I could probably do that for aliving because at the end of the
day, it's all selling.
So whether you're sellingadvertising or talent, sales is
the number one key in allbusiness areas.
So I started transitioning intomusic, so I started representing
DJs at Power 106.
(02:28):
I worked at the station from2007 to 2009.
And then I got introduced to anartist and one of the DJs came
up to me and was like, do youwant to manage this artist?
SPEAKER_02 (02:39):
Can you say names?
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
Oh yeah, it was DJ Sour Milk at the time who's
still on the radio.
That's a great name, Sour Milk.
Yeah, it's a great name.
He's actually my first clientever.
I still see him all the time.
SPEAKER_02 (02:48):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (02:48):
Yeah, he's a good guy.
There was an artist by the nameof Ya Boy and he was from the
Bay and he had a song called WeRun LA and they played us the
record and we're like, hey, thissong could be really big.
So we ended up breaking it onthe radio station when radio was
very prominent and relevant inthe music industry.
And you could break
SPEAKER_01 (03:06):
records.
SPEAKER_00 (03:07):
We could break records, and we were at the
station, so we had a little bitof an advantage.
And the record was the biggestrecord that year in L.A.
So, yeah, that's how it allstarted.
And eventually I left radio,which was a very comfortable...
lifestyle and salary for me atthat time.
And I was about 32 and I'm like,oh, I want to represent talent.
And that's how I transitioned.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
I think you said it's a sales position, but I was
also in the music business for along time.
I ran a label under Universaland Fontana.
And I feel like an agent is notjust sales, but also psychology
too.
Like you're like halfpsychologist.
I mean, I guess like a...
layman like psychologists andsales because a lot of the
(03:52):
artists and talent they need alot of like reassurance and
hand-holding and this is a goodidea you should do this you know
SPEAKER_00 (04:01):
you know you know well i always tell everybody um
because we have a lot of youngagents and assistants in our
company if I was to do it allover again, I probably would
have majored in psychology.
Because business is psychology.
And I think the advantage I had,because I never came from the
mailroom, so I didn't start atthe agency.
So when I left radio, I became amanager, and I just started
(04:22):
meeting artists, and the firstsignificant artist that I worked
with who wanted to sign myartist was Akon.
And at that time, Akon was juston fire.
I still work with him 15 yearslater.
You do?
And it was a wild journey.
But I started working with himon his team.
And lo and behold, a coupleyears later, I met Chris Brown.
(04:43):
And Chris Brown was coming offeverything that he had gone
through from 2012.
And I became his manager forfour years and resurrected his
career.
Wow.
So you learn a lot about humanpsychology when you're actually
managing an artist.
I think when you're an agent,you're always separated a little
bit from the manager and theartist.
(05:03):
It works a little bitdifferently, but just working
with Chris and Akon and a chanceto work with A-list artists for
like 10 years, by the time Ileft Chris and transitioned into
the agency world, I had a hugeadvantage because of the
relationships I had.
So when I came in, I came in asa pretty senior agent at UTA
when they were still buildingtheir music department.
SPEAKER_02 (05:24):
That's awesome.
Who do you represent now?
SPEAKER_00 (05:26):
I'm fortunate enough to work with a number of
clients.
I work with the Kid Leroy.
I work with Lil Wayne.
I work with Cardi B.
I work with Lotto.
I work with Wizkid.
I work with Busta Rhymes.
I work with Kelly Rowland,Jeremiah.
I got just a number of artiststhat I work with.
I
SPEAKER_02 (05:46):
had a friend who was...
I still have a friend who was anagent and he's like...
he hates it when people ask himwho they represent.
And I just never understoodthat.
I'm like, isn't that yourcalling card?
SPEAKER_00 (05:58):
Yeah, I wonder
SPEAKER_02 (05:59):
why.
I wonder why, too.
And I'm like, that's what youdo.
It's like saying, what's yourfavorite candle?
I mean, I don't, you know.
But OK, so tell me about growingup in LA and your spiritual
journey.
Were you always a Catholic?
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
So I was baptized, actually, Coptic Orthodox, which
is very similar to Catholicism,right?
And I went to Catholic schoolfrom first to eighth grade.
SPEAKER_02 (06:23):
Wait, can I interrupt for a second?
Of course.
What does Coptic Orthodox mean?
I know it and you know it, but alot of people don't know what
Coptic Orthodox means.
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
Well, the word Coptic actually means Egypt.
That's what it actually reallymeans.
It's probably one of the oldestforms of Christianity.
I believe St.
Mark founded the faith in Egypt.
So Orthodox really meansoriginal, original faith.
Just like Catholic meansuniversal.
SPEAKER_02 (06:50):
Did Orthodox predate Catholicism?
I feel like Catholicism predates
SPEAKER_00 (06:54):
Orthodox.
It might.
It's a good question because St.
Mark, who wrote one of the fourGospels, went to Egypt and
preached the Bible and thescripture.
And obviously St.
Peter did his thing in Rome.
So
SPEAKER_02 (07:07):
were you always spiritual growing up or
religious, Catholic?
I mean, Coptic?
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
Yeah, you know, there was definitely like a
foundation laid as a child, youknow, from first to eighth
grade.
Like going to Catholic schooldefinitely like gave me that
foundation.
Oh, you went to Catholic school?
I did.
I went to Immaculate Heart ofMary.
in LA.
So it really did help.
It lays that foundation as a kidbecause no matter what happens,
when that foundation is laid asa kid and you become a teenager,
(07:35):
teenagers stray and they dotheir thing, but you always come
back to your faith at the end.
So it did play a big part.
It's played a big part in myentire career, to be honest with
you.
SPEAKER_02 (07:43):
Of course, how could it not?
So always growing up, even as ateenager, person in faith, You
go to Catholic church now.
SPEAKER_00 (07:51):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (07:52):
Or is it you go to Coptic too?
How does that work?
SPEAKER_00 (07:54):
Majority I go to Catholic
SPEAKER_02 (07:56):
church.
And what do you think is themain difference?
SPEAKER_00 (07:58):
I like the one-hour Mass, to be honest with you.
Why is
SPEAKER_02 (08:02):
Coptic a lot
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
longer?
It's like two to three hours,which is perfectly fine.
Oh, no.
Yeah, it's perfectly fine.
I like the one-hour Mass.
My wife is half Portuguese, halfMexican, so the language
barrier, obviously.
I mean, Coptic churches do prayin English, and there's a lot of
American Coptic Orthodoxchurches that are...
being established in LosAngeles, but yeah, I like the
(08:23):
Mass, I like our parish.
SPEAKER_02 (08:25):
I went to Catholic school my whole life too, and
then I kind of was a lapsedCatholic, and then when I
returned, one thing I did noticethat Mass really does calm me
down too.
It helps.
And I feel like it's theoriginal therapy.
You know?
It
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
really is.
SPEAKER_02 (08:40):
Okay, so I read, I was doing a little research on
you and I read a quote that yousaid, you always operate from a
position of faith, not fear.
SPEAKER_00 (08:53):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (08:54):
Tell me what that means exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (08:56):
I think it doesn't really matter what business
you're in.
I feel like fear holds everybodyback.
And when I do something, Ireally do feel like I'm in God's
favor.
Like I'm never going to let feardictate something I really want
to do or somebody I really wantto call or somebody I really
want to work with or something Iwant to do, right?
(09:17):
Because I never want to livelife without any regrets.
So, I mean, David the prophetafter Christ is probably like my
favorite biblical figure becausehe really operated with no fear,
right?
Like he just really had faithand he really, I mean, that's
the faith thing.
I wanna have, because at the endof the day, most fear is just
really in your mind.
It doesn't really exist.
(09:38):
It really, really doesn't.
And it's something that livesinside us that I think we all
face, like we're all scared ofsomething, and you gotta pray on
that, because fear's technicallyfrom the devil, according to the
Bible.
SPEAKER_02 (09:51):
Really?
It
SPEAKER_00 (09:52):
is.
SPEAKER_02 (09:53):
Okay, do you have a specific example that you can
give to us?
SPEAKER_00 (09:59):
As far as like fear over faith?
Yes.
Faith over fear.
Faith over fear.
I'm just trying to think as faras like from a business
perspective or from a life.
Well, I'll give you somethingthat's more personal.
So I'm married and my wife had amiscarriage a few years ago.
(10:20):
I'm so sorry.
And there's a lot of fear and alot of pain when it comes to
that, especially on the woman'spart.
And couples that go through thatprobably don't ever want to
experience that again.
I've had a
SPEAKER_02 (10:32):
miscarriage pretty late, too, between number one
and number two, and I wasdevastated.
I was like four months.
That's far.
SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
Yeah, and there's a lot of fear that takes place.
We're human beings at the end ofthe day.
We're very fragile.
SPEAKER_02 (10:45):
Especially your first baby.
That's even more frightening, Ithink.
Absolutely.
Because you don't know if thisis a problem you have or it's
going to happen again, but a lotof women have miscarriages.
SPEAKER_00 (10:55):
Absolutely, but you know...
we went for it and now she'seight months pregnant and thank
god everything's healthy likebaby's healthy and she's gonna
give birth next month but it wasa journey to get there um and
that was one thing we're likewe're not gonna let fear or pain
or pain or the fear of goingthrough that again dictate what
we're gonna do next so that'smore personal yeah you know
SPEAKER_02 (11:18):
uh have you um being as religious and openly
religious as you are about yourfaith, have you ever felt
ostracized being in the kind ofbusiness that you're in?
Because music business can be alittle bit demonic at times.
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
You know, I think in general, there's going to be
good and evil in every business,right?
It just happens to be a littlebit more in entertainment
because I think greed,narcissism, egos all get in the
way.
Me personally, I haven'texperienced that.
Like all my Jewish friends atwork have celebrated me.
They've always been great.
(11:57):
So I haven't personallyexperienced like, oh, he's
Christian, he's Catholic.
it's really based off merit andmy work at the end of the day.
But I understand that.
I do understand, you know, like,you know, my license plate says
God's bro.
SPEAKER_02 (12:13):
Oh, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (12:14):
So it's funny that it's become like a thing in our
industry where people takepictures of my car all the time
and my license plate and post iton Instagram.
SPEAKER_02 (12:22):
I love
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
it.
So I'm proud of it.
And I actually think it's a worktowards my benefit.
It hasn't, it hasn't hurt me ornot yet.
If it does, I'm sure everythingwill work out.
SPEAKER_02 (12:35):
Yeah.
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (12:36):
we gotta have faith, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:38):
Okay, who's your favorite artist you may or may
not, like, not even in yourroster?
SPEAKER_00 (12:43):
Of all time?
SPEAKER_02 (12:44):
Of all time.
SPEAKER_00 (12:45):
Okay, it won't be on my roster because I love all my
roster.
I'm just saying,
SPEAKER_02 (12:49):
like,
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
just...
Who's my favorite artist of alltime?
You know, I've been asked thisquestion before.
I think if I had one chance torepresent one artist...
It'd probably be Elvis Presley.
SPEAKER_02 (13:01):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (13:02):
Okay.
Yeah, it would be Elvis.
Did you watch the movie?
SPEAKER_02 (13:05):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
He never toured internationally.
He never left the U.S.
There was a
SPEAKER_02 (13:09):
reason for that, though.
I can't
SPEAKER_00 (13:10):
remember.
Because he had a very...
SPEAKER_02 (13:12):
Fear of planes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
And a manager that wasn't very kind.
SPEAKER_02 (13:15):
Horrible.
Yes.
It was a really tragic story, Ifelt, like the Elvis Presley
story.
SPEAKER_01 (13:21):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (13:22):
I felt so sad for him that last Vegas performance.
He's all
SPEAKER_00 (13:29):
sweating.
Died very young.
Yeah, died very young.
At 40.
You imagine if there was someonein his life that probably could
have helped him that had hisbest interest and just didn't
look at him as a product line orsomeone that you're making a
check off.
You know, he's a human being.
Someone I know dated him
SPEAKER_02 (13:46):
near the end of his life.
Oh, that's wild.
Pretty seriously.
And I think there was no help.
I think he was so far down therabbit hole with addiction.
I think there was no helpinghim.
Sad.
But what's your favorite song?
SPEAKER_00 (13:59):
For Elvis?
SPEAKER_02 (14:00):
No, for anybody.
SPEAKER_00 (14:00):
Of all time?
That's a good question.
SPEAKER_02 (14:03):
Top three.
SPEAKER_00 (14:05):
I'm a 90s R&B guy, so I like 90s R&B.
Actually, Keith Sweat is one ofmy favorite artists ever.
I have a funny Keith Sweatstory, since you know him.
So we were doing a big show inAtlanta with Chris, and Keith
called me, and I've never spokento Keith, and he's like, oh, I
really want to bring my sons tothe show.
(14:26):
And I'm a fan, so it's kind ofcool when someone that you grew
up that you're a fan of callsyou for a favor, and I'm like,
oh, you want to come to theshow?
Of course I'll take care of yoursons.
And I'm like, would you want tocome out on the set tonight and
perform with us?
And he's like, are you kiddingme?
I'm like, no, I would love that.
And we actually brought him outthat night, and he sang, I
(14:46):
think, Nobody was the record hedid.
And that was a great show inAtlanta.
SPEAKER_02 (14:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Those were the guys I workedwith.
I'm like a 90s R&B
SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
person, too.
I'm obsessed with 90s R&B.
SPEAKER_02 (14:58):
Genuine.
I worked with Genuine.
I worked with Ronald Isley.
I actually did the last RonaldIsley album.
Kendrick Lamar album.
SPEAKER_01 (15:09):
Oh, amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (15:10):
Kendrick Lamar wanted to work with Ronald Isley
and he kept saying no.
And I was kind of at the end ofmy career and I said, Ron, you
should do this.
He goes, who's that kid?
I'm like, he's kind of big.
He's like, no.
I'm like, okay.
I have a PhD in psychology.
I'm like, now I'm going to playpsychologist.
I'm going to go to his house.
I'm like, Ron, I know you don'tneed this.
Like, you're a legend, right?
(15:32):
I go, but he is like the hottestthing right now.
And you should really do this.
It would be like such a goodlook for you.
And he's like, I'll only do itif he comes to St.
Louis and records at yourstudio, meaning I used to have a
studio, meaning my studio.
I'm like, okay, I'll try.
So I go back to Larry Kahn, whowas the person who was trying to
(15:53):
get me from Interscope toconvince Ron.
He said yes.
So Kendrick Lamar came to St.
Louis for maybe like two weeksand they recorded How Much Does
a Dollar Cost?
And We ended up going to theGrammys that year.
SPEAKER_00 (16:09):
That's a great story.
SPEAKER_02 (16:10):
Yeah, and he thanked me.
He was getting a LifetimeAchievement Award at the
Grammys, and he's like, I wantto thank a few people, my mom,
my dad, my brother, Ernie, andthank Ira.
I was like, what?
And the Beatles were there beinghonored the same year, and the
living members turned aroundlike, who's Ira?
(16:30):
I'm like, that's...
My husband's like, oh my gosh,you made it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
That's really good.
That's a great story.
It's a cool little story, yeah.
That's great.
SPEAKER_02 (16:37):
Yeah, it's a cool little, and then I retired after
that because I'm like, I can't,there's nothing more to do for
me in this music business.
Plus, I was like a little burntout too.
SPEAKER_00 (16:44):
How long were you in
SPEAKER_02 (16:45):
it?
About 10 years.
What do you think, Flea?
10 years in the music business?
About 10 years, yeah.
What other albums did we putout?
Genuine, Ron Isley.
Johnny Gill.
Johnny Gill.
I like Johnny Gill.
New edition.
Yeah, that's all the good 90s.
So yeah, I'm still really goodfriends with Johnny.
We talk all the time.
But yeah, let's go back to, doyou ever listen to Egyptian
(17:09):
music?
SPEAKER_00 (17:10):
I do a little bit, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
I love Mohamed Ramadan.
SPEAKER_00 (17:13):
Oh, yeah, he just did Coachella.
SPEAKER_02 (17:14):
He did.
I think he's the only MiddleEastern artist to ever do it.
SPEAKER_00 (17:18):
Is he?
I thought there was a girl namedEliana last year.
She did it, too.
SPEAKER_02 (17:21):
Eliana?
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
She's Middle Eastern, right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She's represented by the guyswho represent
SPEAKER_00 (17:26):
The Weeknd.
Yeah, it's Sal.
Yeah, yeah,
SPEAKER_02 (17:29):
yeah.
You know, Future used to sleepon my couch.
SPEAKER_00 (17:34):
I didn't know that, I know.
Yeah, yeah,
SPEAKER_02 (17:36):
yeah, but somehow, oh, but they represent Metro
Boomin.
SPEAKER_00 (17:39):
Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (17:39):
So that's why I was, so that's how I found out about
Eliana.
I was backstage, they invitedme, because Metro Boomin invited
me, because he's also from St.
Louis.
And I was backstage, and that'show I heard about Eliana.
SPEAKER_00 (17:52):
I think this is how you and I met at church, when we
were talking about Shake.
Shake, yeah, Shake's a goodfriend.
Yeah, he's a good friend.
SPEAKER_02 (17:59):
Recently I saw you posted about the conditions in
Syria with the Christians.
And I was a little surprised.
Do you want to talk a little bitabout what's going on over
there?
SPEAKER_00 (18:12):
Yeah, I think...
I think Christian persecutionhas been going on for a long
time, right?
Like when you look at data andstats in 2010, like I believe
there was like 1.5 millionChristians in Syria.
It's down to less than 200,000Christians.
There's consistentdiscrimination and persecution.
And if you look at it globally,I believe from 2024, there was
(18:35):
380 million cases ofdiscrimination and persecution
across Christians.
And the media doesn't want totalk about that.
That's why I posted what you sawand we had that conversation,
over 4,400 Christians weremurdered for their faith last
year that nobody's talkingabout.
There was over 7,700 Christianproperties and churches damaged
(18:59):
last year.
in 2024 and I believe there waslike over 200,000 cases of
people fleeing or hiding becauseof their faith.
It's a consistent problem and myissue is the media doesn't wanna
talk about it.
They never wanna talk about it.
I feel like the Christian faithand the Catholic, the Christian
and Catholic faith at times isvery disrespected and no other
(19:24):
faith is disrespected.
SPEAKER_02 (19:25):
I have to agree with you on that.
I feel like if, I feel like theJews are a little bit
disrespected too, and not theArmenians.
100%.
But I feel like any time youspeak about Christians getting
persecuted, all of a sudden itturns out to be like you're an
Islamophobe or something.
Why do you think that you canget away with hurting Christians
(19:49):
and there's no repercussions forit?
I call it selective rage becausethere's...
millions and millions of peopleprotesting all over the world
for Gaza.
Why isn't anybody helping theChristian cause?
Why is the selective rage goingon?
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
I honestly think it's media, right?
Whatever media wants to payattention to, that's but they're
gonna pay attention to, so.
Why
SPEAKER_02 (20:20):
doesn't the media care about us?
SPEAKER_00 (20:22):
That's a great question.
I mean, we should have thatconversation.
I know like Fox News, FoxNation, they'll touch on faith
and they'll talk about it, butthe other media outlets don't
talk about it.
But
SPEAKER_02 (20:35):
it's like 4,400 people in Syria.
There's a ton of people inYemen, right?
A ton of people in Yemen.
Christians in Yemen gettingkilled.
Egypt, correct?
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
Correct.
SPEAKER_02 (20:46):
I mean, something has to give.
It's Ethiopia too.
SPEAKER_00 (20:51):
Yeah.
I think the last time we gotsome coverage is the 21 Martyrs
in Libya that were Coptic.
I think the 21 were Coptic andone converted.
What year was that?
I feel like that was 2017, 2016.
No, actually it was 2015.
It's the 10-year anniversary.
So the
SPEAKER_02 (21:09):
21 Martyrs movie was only 10 years ago?
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (21:13):
That story's only 10 years old?
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
That's only 10 years old.
SPEAKER_02 (21:17):
I'm really like, it really bums me out.
I mean, I'm of Armenian descentand we've been getting
persecuted for literally ahundred years and it's like
decades and it's still going on.
Like we get attacked fromAzerbaijan all the time and it's
(21:39):
all for our faith.
I mean, they use like They makeup reasons to attack us, but
it's always...
I believe it's always for ourfaith.
Probably ask somebody who's notArmenian, and they'll give you
10 reasons as to why they'reattacking us.
But I believe it's because we'reChristians.
And I think...
So how do we change this?
SPEAKER_00 (21:59):
I think we have to talk about it more, right?
Like, I think there needs tobe...
Especially with thisadministration, which I think
does care about Christians.
I do too.
Yeah, they do care aboutChristians that...
Someone's got, we gottaconsistently discuss it and put
it out there on all levels ofsocial media, digital media, and
(22:21):
we just need to talk about itmore because no one really talks
about it.
I wish I had the answer to that,but I'm glad I posted that
because that's how I ended up onthis show.
So that helps, right?
SPEAKER_02 (22:33):
It's almost like our lives are not valued.
SPEAKER_01 (22:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (22:41):
And I saw a video yesterday where the Christians
in Syria were made to walk likedogs.
Did you see that video?
No.
The Christians in Syria, thesoldiers are telling them, walk
like a dog, walk like a dog,bark like a dog, and it's just
the most disturbing video.
And I'm like, how is this not onthe radar of the human rights
(23:02):
organizations?
And how is it not...
How does your heart not break?
I don't care if you're Jewish oryou're Muslim.
It's a human rights issue,ultimately, at the end of the
day, and no one cares.
I kind of feel the same wayabout women in Afghanistan.
Do you see what's going onthere?
SPEAKER_00 (23:23):
No, tell me.
SPEAKER_02 (23:25):
So the Taliban now says that women cannot even talk
to each other in public.
It's like...
SPEAKER_00 (23:35):
What is that?
SPEAKER_02 (23:36):
What is that?
I mean, that's not Islam.
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (23:39):
Come on.
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
It's not.
SPEAKER_02 (23:40):
I mean, I have a lot of Muslim friends that don't buy
into that.
And the things that are going onin Afghanistan are like pure
trap.
Seriously, the entire worldneeds to band together.
Like Ukraine, how the rage inUkraine, how we were all sending
money to Ukraine.
There are like, there's likethis whole thing called Bajabazi
(24:02):
boys in Afghanistan, have youheard about it?
Because premarital sex is notallowed in Afghanistan, it's
such a rigid system with, to theletter of the law with religion
that they, and this is not likean isolated incident.
There's a whole documentaryabout it.
They are taking boys under theage of like 16, dressing them up
(24:26):
as women and using them forprostitution.
Basically as slaves.
It's like a sex slave.
You can buy like a poor boy froma family.
And it's called The Dancing Boysof Afghanistan.
There's a whole documentaryaround it.
And I feel like it's just liketheir lives are like mean
nothing like that unrages memore than any war that's going
(24:49):
on
SPEAKER_00 (24:50):
this is pure evil it's pure
SPEAKER_02 (24:52):
evil and i we're just sitting back and doing
nothing about it and i feel likethis is where we can all
collectively it doesn't matterwhat religion you are and say
you know what this is wrong idon't know i didn't mean to get
off
SPEAKER_00 (25:04):
on no i i i agree with you 100 you know it's you
know like when you read thebible like it does prophesize
Christians will suffer.
So it is predicted in the Bible,but I think we just have to talk
about it more and really makesure people are paying
attention.
Because again, like I said inthe beginning, I think it's the
(25:25):
most disrespected faith out ofall the faiths.
SPEAKER_02 (25:27):
110%.
And
SPEAKER_00 (25:30):
the disrespect needs to stop.
SPEAKER_02 (25:32):
Exactly.
And the people who are, I wouldlike, listen, whatever side of
politics you are, right, whetheryou're pro-Israel or not, like
those people that are, like Iwould have so much more respect
for them if they were, okay,okay, you're upset about Gaza
today, yeah, because they're thesmall guy, If you were doing the
(25:56):
same thing for the Bajabaziboys, for the women, for the
Christians, I'd be like, youknow what?
Those are those kind of people,and I can see where they're
coming from.
But like I was saying, theselective rage, I can't relate.
You know what I'm saying?
Because how do you just pick andchoose what you're going to get
enraged about today?
Yeah.
And don't get me wrong.
I think what's going on in Gazais really sad.
(26:18):
But it's just like this...
thousand year war that won'tlike it's just keeps
flip-flopping and it's so sadand there's really no winners
with this whole situation but asfar as the
SPEAKER_00 (26:30):
I get what you're saying it's about humanity
SPEAKER_02 (26:32):
it's about humanity
SPEAKER_00 (26:33):
you just can't be upset at one thing you have to
look at
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
everything exactly and that's what I'm saying
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
it's not even based on faith it's just humanity
SPEAKER_02 (26:41):
exactly it's a human rights issue it's not even a
faith issue you're upset aboutGaza be upset about the
Christians in In Syria, beingsaid about the Christians in
Yemen and the boys inAfghanistan, the women in
Afghanistan, and it's just...
How about Iran?
I won't even open a can of wormswith Iran, but okay.
What's your favorite saint?
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
My favorite saint?
Well, obviously, it's going tobe...
It's two saints.
Well, Saint Mary is the all-timegreatest ever.
She's
SPEAKER_02 (27:06):
my girl.
SPEAKER_00 (27:07):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (27:07):
Blessed virgin.
SPEAKER_00 (27:08):
And then my second favorite saint...
Yeah, she's the greatest.
When we have this child, I'mgoing to come back and tell you
The miracle she made for thisbaby.
Is it a boy or a girl?
It's a girl.
Her name's Capri Mary Gerges.
SPEAKER_02 (27:23):
Capri Mary?
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
Yes.
Okay,
SPEAKER_02 (27:24):
good.
SPEAKER_00 (27:25):
But when she's here, I'll come back and I'll tell you
some of the miracles that havehappened at our own home in St.
Mary.
It's been
SPEAKER_02 (27:32):
amazing.
I have a huge devotion to Mary.
If you go to my room, I just gotthree new Mary books.
I'm just...
I have an obsession with her.
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (27:42):
she's the goat.
She's really the
SPEAKER_02 (27:44):
goat.
I'm a mama's girl.
Your favorite, okay, so...
SPEAKER_00 (27:49):
My second favorite is Padre Pio.
SPEAKER_02 (27:52):
Oh, he's a stud.
SPEAKER_00 (27:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:54):
And he's a gangster.
SPEAKER_00 (27:55):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:55):
I heard he was, like, really...
Feisty.
Because I live in Italy part ofthe year, right?
So people have a really strongdevotion to Padre Pio.
And people are like, he wasgangster.
He'd threaten people.
I
SPEAKER_00 (28:07):
like that.
He'd be good in the musicindustry.
Exactly.
A
SPEAKER_02 (28:11):
friend of mine was, because he died not too long
ago.
And a friend of mine was cominginto church one day and he was a
little late.
And he was like, no, get out.
Like, he was like, you're late,don't be late again.
He's like, no, you two get out.
SPEAKER_00 (28:26):
You know, it's funny when Shia LaBeouf did his movie,
and I'm friendly with Shia, itconverted it.
Like, he lived at that monasterybecause he played Father P.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Like, it changed his entirelife.
SPEAKER_02 (28:39):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (28:39):
Yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_02 (28:40):
And obviously, in Italy, I'm friends with a lot of
priests, and they say he comesto a lot of the exorcisms.
His spirit comes to a lot of theexorcisms, and I think he
threatened one demon, and hesaid, if you don't leave the
body of this person, I'm goingto make this whole church cave
in on you.
(29:01):
And I'm like, I told you he wasa gangster.
And I'm like, okay, it's notvery saintly of you.
But apparently the church cavedin the next day.
SPEAKER_00 (29:08):
Really?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:09):
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (29:10):
it's a good choice.
I like this one.
Yeah, I've always admired hisstory and just his piety and
just everything he went through,by the way.
he had struggles with the churchfor a long time.
They thought he was a fraud.
SPEAKER_02 (29:23):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (29:23):
Yeah, the Vatican did not believe.
He had enemies within thechurch.
SPEAKER_02 (29:27):
The stigmata.
SPEAKER_00 (29:28):
That were bishops.
They were saying, no, this isn'treal.
So it just shows you, like,even, like, you know, we're
talking about the musicindustry, some of the
personalities that we have todeal with.
But even at that church level,Like, there were people in the
Vatican and bishops against him.
Really?
That I did not know.
Yeah, it happens everywhere.
SPEAKER_02 (29:46):
He's a really profound saint, in my opinion,
because I suffer from autoimmunedisease and I have a lot of
aches and pains a lot of thetime.
And I read a quote where hesaid, like, if you live with
pain, like, you're blessed.
Because, like, I didn't reallytotally understand it at the
time, but I've been readingabout it more and I'm, like...
(30:07):
seeing the blessing in it, andthen you can kind of give up
that pain for someone else'ssuffering.
It's like your cross in life.
It's like your cross in life,exactly.
I think he was a pretty...
We don't humanize priests a lotbecause we look at them as like,
they don't get married, theydon't have a lot of life
(30:28):
experiences, but they reallyhave some of the best insight
that I've ever seen in my life.
And I think he's probably the...
biggest testament to that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:39):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (30:42):
What's your favorite prayer and why?
SPEAKER_00 (30:43):
My favorite prayer and why?
I really like the Jesus prayer.
Do you know the Jesus prayer?
SPEAKER_02 (30:49):
Which one?
SPEAKER_00 (30:50):
It's a simple prayer that you pray throughout the
day.
It's really more of a monasticprayer that St.
Anthony taught.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,have mercy upon me, a sinner.
You say it throughout the day.
It's a very, very powerfulprayer.
Short, Right to the point.
I like it.
Get your mind and your heartright.
(31:10):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (31:10):
There's
SPEAKER_00 (31:11):
books on it.
SPEAKER_02 (31:12):
I say the Hail Mary about, I have to say, even when
I do a rosary, but probably 20times a day.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
Yeah.
I do the rosary too.
Yeah.
Hail Mary is definitely numbertwo right there.
SPEAKER_02 (31:25):
If you had to describe your relationship with
God in one word, what is it?
SPEAKER_00 (31:33):
One word?
SPEAKER_02 (31:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:35):
I would say it's a partnership.
And the reason why I say that,everything I want to do in my
life, I want God to be mypartner.
Because as long as He's yourpartner in everything, less
(31:55):
chance of messing it up.
To be honest with you.
That's for sure.
Yeah.
I want to be partners with God.
SPEAKER_02 (32:03):
I love
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
that.
That's how I look at it thatway.
I know it's God, the Almighty,and sometimes it's like
reverence and you pay respects.
But no, I want God to beinvolved in every decision I
make professionally, personally,everything.
Because I'm always seeking forwisdom,
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
right?
SPEAKER_00 (32:21):
I'm a big believer.
You can literally read the bookof Proverbs because it's
literally all about wisdom andapply it to anything in life and
you'll be very successful.
SPEAKER_02 (32:31):
I think mine is...
protection when I'm scared oreven contemplative.
I'm always like, God, whatshould I do?
Help me.
And I feel like he protects me.
SPEAKER_01 (32:43):
Yeah.
It's good.
SPEAKER_02 (32:44):
Yeah.
My word changes from time totime.
Sometimes it's love.
But mostly it's protection.
I feel protected when I'mconnected to him.
SPEAKER_00 (32:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (32:53):
You know?
SPEAKER_00 (32:54):
It's good.
SPEAKER_02 (32:55):
What are your thoughts on Christian music?
SPEAKER_00 (32:57):
I think it's fantastic.
By the way, coming from theagent world, I look at it...
twofold.
I personally like Christianmusic.
My wife actually put me on tomore Christian music.
I wasn't into it at thebeginning, but she really got me
into it because she, yeah, shegrew up like singing in the
choir and doing all that greatstuff.
So I like it, but I'm also anagent.
(33:18):
So we actually have a divisionfocused on Christian music.
Right.
And it's a big business.
Listen, I know it's a wildlypopular business.
It is.
It sells a lot of tickets,whether it's at arenas, venues,
churches.
Have
SPEAKER_02 (33:37):
you heard of Hakuna?
Mm-mm.
You should really look at it andmaybe think about bringing it
into the United States.
It's a giant...
I want to say Catholicorganization for young adults,
and it's wildly popularoverseas.
And do you know about FatherDavid Michael Moses?
SPEAKER_00 (33:59):
Tell me about him.
SPEAKER_02 (34:01):
He's a priest, and I think he's in a rock band.
SPEAKER_00 (34:03):
Really?
SPEAKER_02 (34:04):
And he sells out like 5,000 person venues.
That's big.
And, wait, I just lost my trainof thought.
There's another.
Oh, Father Thomas.
He's a Dominican priest in Rome.
He's the head of the AngelicumInstitute, which is a seminary
to trade priests.
(34:25):
I think he's like one of thetop.
I don't know if it's Christian,but...
Bluegrass music.
So there's all these things thatare emerging.
I'm not a huge fan of Christianmusic, but I love gospel.
I feel like it's got more soul.
But I guess that's Christian asgospel.
SPEAKER_00 (34:43):
It's like R&B Christian music.
Gospel's R&B Christian music.
SPEAKER_02 (34:46):
So I'm a fan of gospel, but I've never been able
to get into Christian Christian
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
music.
SPEAKER_02 (34:51):
Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00 (34:52):
Absolutely.
I think just sitting where I sitin entertainment with music,
content, and what's beingconsumed, There is an appetite
for faith-based music.
100%.
Faith-based content.
Like, we see how big The Chosenis.
It's massive.
SPEAKER_02 (35:06):
Love.
SPEAKER_00 (35:07):
House of David, have you seen that?
SPEAKER_02 (35:09):
I'm planning on seeing it
SPEAKER_00 (35:09):
this weekend.
So good.
This weekend.
It's so good.
I think it's like number one ortwo on Amazon.
I
SPEAKER_02 (35:13):
thought it was...
I read that it was two.
SPEAKER_00 (35:15):
Yeah, there's like an appetite for faith-based
content.
It's big right now.
SPEAKER_02 (35:19):
I have a giant appetite for faith-based
content.
I just haven't been able toconnect with the music yet.
SPEAKER_00 (35:25):
Yeah.
Well, I think with the content,with...
What's better now than it wasbefore was Back then it was kind
of corny when they would dofaith-based projects, TV, films.
Now it's good.
The production's good, thequality's good, the storylines
are good.
SPEAKER_02 (35:38):
Have you seen Cabrini?
SPEAKER_00 (35:40):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (35:41):
My friend's husband did the movie.
SPEAKER_00 (35:43):
Yeah, amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (35:44):
Yeah, and he's just shot the new Mary movie in
SPEAKER_00 (35:48):
Morocco.
The one on Netflix, or is thatthe...
No, it's coming out.
It's coming out.
SPEAKER_02 (35:50):
It's coming out in Angel Studios.
He was in Morocco, I want tosay, for close to, I don't know,
several, six months if not more,I don't know.
I read about that.
It's Alejandro Monteverde.
Yeah.
And yeah, he's doing big thingsin the Catholic world.
I think he has a deal at AngelStudios to do the Catholic
content
SPEAKER_00 (36:10):
for them.
That's good.
A lot of great IP.
SPEAKER_02 (36:13):
Well, thank you for coming on the show.
I really appreciate you makingthe time.
I know how busy you are.
Thank you
SPEAKER_00 (36:17):
for having
SPEAKER_02 (36:17):
me.
It was fun.
UNKNOWN (36:25):
Thank you.
Who do you represent now?
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
I'm fortunate enough to work with a number of
clients.
You know, I work with the KidLeroy.
I work with Lil Wayne.
I work with Cardi B.
I work with Lotto.
I work with Wizkid.
I work with Busta Rhymes.
SPEAKER_02 (00:12):
Have you ever felt ostracized being in the kind of
business that you're in?
SPEAKER_00 (00:17):
I haven't personally experienced like, oh, he's
Christian, he's Catholic.
It's really based off merit andmy work at the end of the day.
I want God to be involved inevery decision I make
professionally, personally.
I'm a big believer.
Like you could literally readthe book of Proverbs and apply
it to anything in life and you'dbe very successful.
It doesn't really matter whatbusiness you're in.
I feel like fear holds everybodyback.
(00:40):
Like I'm never gonna let feardictate something I really wanna
do.
SPEAKER_02 (00:47):
We're here today, Beyond Saint, with Mike G.
What's your actual last name?
Can you say, or you don't
SPEAKER_00 (00:54):
want to say?
Yes, my actual last name isGirgis.
SPEAKER_02 (00:56):
Girgis, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (00:57):
And I knew when I got into the industry that
people were going to have a hardtime announcing it, just because
they just never know how toannounce it.
So I thought Mike G would stick,and it actually worked.
SPEAKER_02 (01:07):
Okay, and what's your background?
What are you culturally?
I
SPEAKER_00 (01:11):
am Egyptian.
ethnicity, born in Los Angeles,raised in Los Angeles.
Oh,
SPEAKER_02 (01:17):
really?
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (01:19):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (01:20):
Kaiser Hospital on Sunset.
Really?
Very LA.
Oh,
SPEAKER_02 (01:23):
very LA.
Okay.
I was not expecting that.
I thought you were really goingto say you were from like New
York or I don't know, some likeChicago, but Mike G.
I get Gurgis is a talent.
music agent at UTA?
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
Correct.
I'm a partner at UTA.
SPEAKER_02 (01:39):
Oh, you're a partner at UTA.
Oh, that's amazing.
Okay.
Tell me a little bit about yourbackground.
SPEAKER_00 (01:44):
Okay.
Yeah.
So I've been in theentertainment industry for about
close to like 20 plus years.
Out of college, I worked inradio.
So I had just basicallycorporate sales background,
advertising sales.
It's where I really gotintroduced to the music
business.
And in about 2007, 2008, I was abig fan of the show Entourage.
(02:06):
Everybody.
Yes.
I used to watch the show and Iwould tell myself, I'm like, you
know what?
I could probably do that for aliving because at the end of the
day, it's all selling.
So whether you're sellingadvertising or talent, sales is
the number one key in allbusiness areas.
So I started transitioning intomusic, so I started representing
DJs at Power 106.
(02:28):
I worked at the station from2007 to 2009.
And then I got introduced to anartist and one of the DJs came
up to me and was like, do youwant to manage this artist?
SPEAKER_02 (02:39):
Can you say names?
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
Oh yeah, it was DJ Sour Milk at the time who's
still on the radio.
That's a great name, Sour Milk.
Yeah, it's a great name.
He's actually my first clientever.
I still see him all the time.
SPEAKER_02 (02:48):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (02:48):
Yeah, he's a good guy.
There was an artist by the nameof Ya Boy and he was from the
Bay and he had a song called WeRun LA and they played us the
record and we're like, hey, thissong could be really big.
So we ended up breaking it onthe radio station when radio was
very prominent and relevant inthe music industry.
And you could break
SPEAKER_01 (03:06):
records.
SPEAKER_00 (03:07):
We could break records, and we were at the
station, so we had a little bitof an advantage.
And the record was the biggestrecord that year in L.A.
So, yeah, that's how it allstarted.
And eventually I left radio,which was a very comfortable...
lifestyle and salary for me atthat time.
And I was about 32 and I'm like,oh, I want to represent talent.
And that's how I transitioned.
SPEAKER_02 (03:29):
I think you said it's a sales position, but I was
also in the music business for along time.
I ran a label under Universaland Fontana.
And I feel like an agent is notjust sales, but also psychology
too.
Like you're like halfpsychologist.
I mean, I guess like a...
layman like psychologists andsales because a lot of the
(03:52):
artists and talent they need alot of like reassurance and
hand-holding and this is a goodidea you should do this you know
SPEAKER_00 (04:01):
you know you know well i always tell everybody um
because we have a lot of youngagents and assistants in our
company if I was to do it allover again, I probably would
have majored in psychology.
Because business is psychology.
And I think the advantage I had,because I never came from the
mailroom, so I didn't start atthe agency.
So when I left radio, I became amanager, and I just started
(04:22):
meeting artists, and the firstsignificant artist that I worked
with who wanted to sign myartist was Akon.
And at that time, Akon was juston fire.
I still work with him 15 yearslater.
You do?
And it was a wild journey.
But I started working with himon his team.
And lo and behold, a coupleyears later, I met Chris Brown.
(04:43):
And Chris Brown was coming offeverything that he had gone
through from 2012.
And I became his manager forfour years and resurrected his
career.
Wow.
So you learn a lot about humanpsychology when you're actually
managing an artist.
I think when you're an agent,you're always separated a little
bit from the manager and theartist.
(05:03):
It works a little bitdifferently, but just working
with Chris and Akon and a chanceto work with A-list artists for
like 10 years, by the time Ileft Chris and transitioned into
the agency world, I had a hugeadvantage because of the
relationships I had.
So when I came in, I came in asa pretty senior agent at UTA
when they were still buildingtheir music department.
SPEAKER_02 (05:24):
That's awesome.
Who do you represent now?
SPEAKER_00 (05:26):
I'm fortunate enough to work with a number of
clients.
I work with the Kid Leroy.
I work with Lil Wayne.
I work with Cardi B.
I work with Lotto.
I work with Wizkid.
I work with Busta Rhymes.
I work with Kelly Rowland,Jeremiah.
I got just a number of artiststhat I work with.
I
SPEAKER_02 (05:46):
had a friend who was...
I still have a friend who was anagent and he's like...
he hates it when people ask himwho they represent.
And I just never understoodthat.
I'm like, isn't that yourcalling card?
SPEAKER_00 (05:58):
Yeah, I wonder
SPEAKER_02 (05:59):
why.
I wonder why, too.
And I'm like, that's what youdo.
It's like saying, what's yourfavorite candle?
I mean, I don't, you know.
But OK, so tell me about growingup in LA and your spiritual
journey.
Were you always a Catholic?
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
So I was baptized, actually, Coptic Orthodox, which
is very similar to Catholicism,right?
And I went to Catholic schoolfrom first to eighth grade.
SPEAKER_02 (06:23):
Wait, can I interrupt for a second?
Of course.
What does Coptic Orthodox mean?
I know it and you know it, but alot of people don't know what
Coptic Orthodox means.
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
Well, the word Coptic actually means Egypt.
That's what it actually reallymeans.
It's probably one of the oldestforms of Christianity.
I believe St.
Mark founded the faith in Egypt.
So Orthodox really meansoriginal, original faith.
Just like Catholic meansuniversal.
SPEAKER_02 (06:50):
Did Orthodox predate Catholicism?
I feel like Catholicism predates
SPEAKER_00 (06:54):
Orthodox.
It might.
It's a good question because St.
Mark, who wrote one of the fourGospels, went to Egypt and
preached the Bible and thescripture.
And obviously St.
Peter did his thing in Rome.
So
SPEAKER_02 (07:07):
were you always spiritual growing up or
religious, Catholic?
I mean, Coptic?
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
Yeah, you know, there was definitely like a
foundation laid as a child, youknow, from first to eighth
grade.
Like going to Catholic schooldefinitely like gave me that
foundation.
Oh, you went to Catholic school?
I did.
I went to Immaculate Heart ofMary.
in LA.
So it really did help.
It lays that foundation as a kidbecause no matter what happens,
when that foundation is laid asa kid and you become a teenager,
(07:35):
teenagers stray and they dotheir thing, but you always come
back to your faith at the end.
So it did play a big part.
It's played a big part in myentire career, to be honest with
you.
SPEAKER_02 (07:43):
Of course, how could it not?
So always growing up, even as ateenager, person in faith, You
go to Catholic church now.
SPEAKER_00 (07:51):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (07:52):
Or is it you go to Coptic too?
How does that work?
SPEAKER_00 (07:54):
Majority I go to Catholic
SPEAKER_02 (07:56):
church.
And what do you think is themain difference?
SPEAKER_00 (07:58):
I like the one-hour Mass, to be honest with you.
Why is
SPEAKER_02 (08:02):
Coptic a lot
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
longer?
It's like two to three hours,which is perfectly fine.
Oh, no.
Yeah, it's perfectly fine.
I like the one-hour Mass.
My wife is half Portuguese, halfMexican, so the language
barrier, obviously.
I mean, Coptic churches do prayin English, and there's a lot of
American Coptic Orthodoxchurches that are...
being established in LosAngeles, but yeah, I like the
(08:23):
Mass, I like our parish.
SPEAKER_02 (08:25):
I went to Catholic school my whole life too, and
then I kind of was a lapsedCatholic, and then when I
returned, one thing I did noticethat Mass really does calm me
down too.
It helps.
And I feel like it's theoriginal therapy.
You know?
It
SPEAKER_00 (08:40):
really is.
SPEAKER_02 (08:40):
Okay, so I read, I was doing a little research on
you and I read a quote that yousaid, you always operate from a
position of faith, not fear.
SPEAKER_00 (08:53):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (08:54):
Tell me what that means exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (08:56):
I think it doesn't really matter what business
you're in.
I feel like fear holds everybodyback.
And when I do something, Ireally do feel like I'm in God's
favor.
Like I'm never going to let feardictate something I really want
to do or somebody I really wantto call or somebody I really
want to work with or something Iwant to do, right?
(09:17):
Because I never want to livelife without any regrets.
So, I mean, David the prophetafter Christ is probably like my
favorite biblical figure becausehe really operated with no fear,
right?
Like he just really had faithand he really, I mean, that's
the faith thing.
I wanna have, because at the endof the day, most fear is just
really in your mind.
It doesn't really exist.
(09:38):
It really, really doesn't.
And it's something that livesinside us that I think we all
face, like we're all scared ofsomething, and you gotta pray on
that, because fear's technicallyfrom the devil, according to the
Bible.
SPEAKER_02 (09:51):
Really?
It
SPEAKER_00 (09:52):
is.
SPEAKER_02 (09:53):
Okay, do you have a specific example that you can
give to us?
SPEAKER_00 (09:59):
As far as like fear over faith?
Yes.
Faith over fear.
Faith over fear.
I'm just trying to think as faras like from a business
perspective or from a life.
Well, I'll give you somethingthat's more personal.
So I'm married and my wife had amiscarriage a few years ago.
(10:20):
I'm so sorry.
And there's a lot of fear and alot of pain when it comes to
that, especially on the woman'spart.
And couples that go through thatprobably don't ever want to
experience that again.
I've had a
SPEAKER_02 (10:32):
miscarriage pretty late, too, between number one
and number two, and I wasdevastated.
I was like four months.
That's far.
SPEAKER_00 (10:40):
Yeah, and there's a lot of fear that takes place.
We're human beings at the end ofthe day.
We're very fragile.
SPEAKER_02 (10:45):
Especially your first baby.
That's even more frightening, Ithink.
Absolutely.
Because you don't know if thisis a problem you have or it's
going to happen again, but a lotof women have miscarriages.
SPEAKER_00 (10:55):
Absolutely, but you know...
we went for it and now she'seight months pregnant and thank
god everything's healthy likebaby's healthy and she's gonna
give birth next month but it wasa journey to get there um and
that was one thing we're likewe're not gonna let fear or pain
or pain or the fear of goingthrough that again dictate what
we're gonna do next so that'smore personal yeah you know
SPEAKER_02 (11:18):
uh have you um being as religious and openly
religious as you are about yourfaith, have you ever felt
ostracized being in the kind ofbusiness that you're in?
Because music business can be alittle bit demonic at times.
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
You know, I think in general, there's going to be
good and evil in every business,right?
It just happens to be a littlebit more in entertainment
because I think greed,narcissism, egos all get in the
way.
Me personally, I haven'texperienced that.
Like all my Jewish friends atwork have celebrated me.
They've always been great.
(11:57):
So I haven't personallyexperienced like, oh, he's
Christian, he's Catholic.
it's really based off merit andmy work at the end of the day.
But I understand that.
I do understand, you know, like,you know, my license plate says
God's bro.
SPEAKER_02 (12:13):
Oh, I love it.
SPEAKER_00 (12:14):
So it's funny that it's become like a thing in our
industry where people takepictures of my car all the time
and my license plate and post iton Instagram.
SPEAKER_02 (12:22):
I love
SPEAKER_00 (12:22):
it.
So I'm proud of it.
And I actually think it's a worktowards my benefit.
It hasn't, it hasn't hurt me ornot yet.
If it does, I'm sure everythingwill work out.
SPEAKER_02 (12:35):
Yeah.
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (12:36):
we gotta have faith, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (12:38):
Okay, who's your favorite artist you may or may
not, like, not even in yourroster?
SPEAKER_00 (12:43):
Of all time?
SPEAKER_02 (12:44):
Of all time.
SPEAKER_00 (12:45):
Okay, it won't be on my roster because I love all my
roster.
I'm just saying,
SPEAKER_02 (12:49):
like,
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
just...
Who's my favorite artist of alltime?
You know, I've been asked thisquestion before.
I think if I had one chance torepresent one artist...
It'd probably be Elvis Presley.
SPEAKER_02 (13:01):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (13:02):
Okay.
Yeah, it would be Elvis.
Did you watch the movie?
SPEAKER_02 (13:05):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
He never toured internationally.
He never left the U.S.
There was a
SPEAKER_02 (13:09):
reason for that, though.
I can't
SPEAKER_00 (13:10):
remember.
Because he had a very...
SPEAKER_02 (13:12):
Fear of planes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:13):
And a manager that wasn't very kind.
SPEAKER_02 (13:15):
Horrible.
Yes.
It was a really tragic story, Ifelt, like the Elvis Presley
story.
SPEAKER_01 (13:21):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (13:22):
I felt so sad for him that last Vegas performance.
He's all
SPEAKER_00 (13:29):
sweating.
Died very young.
Yeah, died very young.
At 40.
You imagine if there was someonein his life that probably could
have helped him that had hisbest interest and just didn't
look at him as a product line orsomeone that you're making a
check off.
You know, he's a human being.
Someone I know dated him
SPEAKER_02 (13:46):
near the end of his life.
Oh, that's wild.
Pretty seriously.
And I think there was no help.
I think he was so far down therabbit hole with addiction.
I think there was no helpinghim.
Sad.
But what's your favorite song?
SPEAKER_00 (13:59):
For Elvis?
SPEAKER_02 (14:00):
No, for anybody.
SPEAKER_00 (14:00):
Of all time?
That's a good question.
SPEAKER_02 (14:03):
Top three.
SPEAKER_00 (14:05):
I'm a 90s R&B guy, so I like 90s R&B.
Actually, Keith Sweat is one ofmy favorite artists ever.
I have a funny Keith Sweatstory, since you know him.
So we were doing a big show inAtlanta with Chris, and Keith
called me, and I've never spokento Keith, and he's like, oh, I
really want to bring my sons tothe show.
(14:26):
And I'm a fan, so it's kind ofcool when someone that you grew
up that you're a fan of callsyou for a favor, and I'm like,
oh, you want to come to theshow?
Of course I'll take care of yoursons.
And I'm like, would you want tocome out on the set tonight and
perform with us?
And he's like, are you kiddingme?
I'm like, no, I would love that.
And we actually brought him outthat night, and he sang, I
(14:46):
think, Nobody was the record hedid.
And that was a great show inAtlanta.
SPEAKER_02 (14:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Those were the guys I workedwith.
I'm like a 90s R&B
SPEAKER_00 (14:56):
person, too.
I'm obsessed with 90s R&B.
SPEAKER_02 (14:58):
Genuine.
I worked with Genuine.
I worked with Ronald Isley.
I actually did the last RonaldIsley album.
Kendrick Lamar album.
SPEAKER_01 (15:09):
Oh, amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (15:10):
Kendrick Lamar wanted to work with Ronald Isley
and he kept saying no.
And I was kind of at the end ofmy career and I said, Ron, you
should do this.
He goes, who's that kid?
I'm like, he's kind of big.
He's like, no.
I'm like, okay.
I have a PhD in psychology.
I'm like, now I'm going to playpsychologist.
I'm going to go to his house.
I'm like, Ron, I know you don'tneed this.
Like, you're a legend, right?
(15:32):
I go, but he is like the hottestthing right now.
And you should really do this.
It would be like such a goodlook for you.
And he's like, I'll only do itif he comes to St.
Louis and records at yourstudio, meaning I used to have a
studio, meaning my studio.
I'm like, okay, I'll try.
So I go back to Larry Kahn, whowas the person who was trying to
(15:53):
get me from Interscope toconvince Ron.
He said yes.
So Kendrick Lamar came to St.
Louis for maybe like two weeksand they recorded How Much Does
a Dollar Cost?
And We ended up going to theGrammys that year.
SPEAKER_00 (16:09):
That's a great story.
SPEAKER_02 (16:10):
Yeah, and he thanked me.
He was getting a LifetimeAchievement Award at the
Grammys, and he's like, I wantto thank a few people, my mom,
my dad, my brother, Ernie, andthank Ira.
I was like, what?
And the Beatles were there beinghonored the same year, and the
living members turned aroundlike, who's Ira?
(16:30):
I'm like, that's...
My husband's like, oh my gosh,you made it.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
That's really good.
That's a great story.
It's a cool little story, yeah.
That's great.
SPEAKER_02 (16:37):
Yeah, it's a cool little, and then I retired after
that because I'm like, I can't,there's nothing more to do for
me in this music business.
Plus, I was like a little burntout too.
SPEAKER_00 (16:44):
How long were you in
SPEAKER_02 (16:45):
it?
About 10 years.
What do you think, Flea?
10 years in the music business?
About 10 years, yeah.
What other albums did we putout?
Genuine, Ron Isley.
Johnny Gill.
Johnny Gill.
I like Johnny Gill.
New edition.
Yeah, that's all the good 90s.
So yeah, I'm still really goodfriends with Johnny.
We talk all the time.
But yeah, let's go back to, doyou ever listen to Egyptian
(17:09):
music?
SPEAKER_00 (17:10):
I do a little bit, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
I love Mohamed Ramadan.
SPEAKER_00 (17:13):
Oh, yeah, he just did Coachella.
SPEAKER_02 (17:14):
He did.
I think he's the only MiddleEastern artist to ever do it.
SPEAKER_00 (17:18):
Is he?
I thought there was a girl namedEliana last year.
She did it, too.
SPEAKER_02 (17:21):
Eliana?
SPEAKER_00 (17:23):
She's Middle Eastern, right?
SPEAKER_02 (17:24):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
She's represented by the guyswho represent
SPEAKER_00 (17:26):
The Weeknd.
Yeah, it's Sal.
Yeah, yeah,
SPEAKER_02 (17:29):
yeah.
You know, Future used to sleepon my couch.
SPEAKER_00 (17:34):
I didn't know that, I know.
Yeah, yeah,
SPEAKER_02 (17:36):
yeah, but somehow, oh, but they represent Metro
Boomin.
SPEAKER_00 (17:39):
Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (17:39):
So that's why I was, so that's how I found out about
Eliana.
I was backstage, they invitedme, because Metro Boomin invited
me, because he's also from St.
Louis.
And I was backstage, and that'show I heard about Eliana.
SPEAKER_00 (17:52):
I think this is how you and I met at church, when we
were talking about Shake.
Shake, yeah, Shake's a goodfriend.
Yeah, he's a good friend.
SPEAKER_02 (17:59):
Recently I saw you posted about the conditions in
Syria with the Christians.
And I was a little surprised.
Do you want to talk a little bitabout what's going on over
there?
SPEAKER_00 (18:12):
Yeah, I think...
I think Christian persecutionhas been going on for a long
time, right?
Like when you look at data andstats in 2010, like I believe
there was like 1.5 millionChristians in Syria.
It's down to less than 200,000Christians.
There's consistentdiscrimination and persecution.
And if you look at it globally,I believe from 2024, there was
(18:35):
380 million cases ofdiscrimination and persecution
across Christians.
And the media doesn't want totalk about that.
That's why I posted what you sawand we had that conversation,
over 4,400 Christians weremurdered for their faith last
year that nobody's talkingabout.
There was over 7,700 Christianproperties and churches damaged
(18:59):
last year.
in 2024 and I believe there waslike over 200,000 cases of
people fleeing or hiding becauseof their faith.
It's a consistent problem and myissue is the media doesn't wanna
talk about it.
They never wanna talk about it.
I feel like the Christian faithand the Catholic, the Christian
and Catholic faith at times isvery disrespected and no other
(19:24):
faith is disrespected.
SPEAKER_02 (19:25):
I have to agree with you on that.
I feel like if, I feel like theJews are a little bit
disrespected too, and not theArmenians.
100%.
But I feel like any time youspeak about Christians getting
persecuted, all of a sudden itturns out to be like you're an
Islamophobe or something.
Why do you think that you canget away with hurting Christians
(19:49):
and there's no repercussions forit?
I call it selective rage becausethere's...
millions and millions of peopleprotesting all over the world
for Gaza.
Why isn't anybody helping theChristian cause?
Why is the selective rage goingon?
SPEAKER_00 (20:11):
I honestly think it's media, right?
Whatever media wants to payattention to, that's but they're
gonna pay attention to, so.
Why
SPEAKER_02 (20:20):
doesn't the media care about us?
SPEAKER_00 (20:22):
That's a great question.
I mean, we should have thatconversation.
I know like Fox News, FoxNation, they'll touch on faith
and they'll talk about it, butthe other media outlets don't
talk about it.
But
SPEAKER_02 (20:35):
it's like 4,400 people in Syria.
There's a ton of people inYemen, right?
A ton of people in Yemen.
Christians in Yemen gettingkilled.
Egypt, correct?
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
Correct.
SPEAKER_02 (20:46):
I mean, something has to give.
It's Ethiopia too.
SPEAKER_00 (20:51):
Yeah.
I think the last time we gotsome coverage is the 21 Martyrs
in Libya that were Coptic.
I think the 21 were Coptic andone converted.
What year was that?
I feel like that was 2017, 2016.
No, actually it was 2015.
It's the 10-year anniversary.
So the
SPEAKER_02 (21:09):
21 Martyrs movie was only 10 years ago?
SPEAKER_00 (21:12):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (21:13):
That story's only 10 years old?
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
That's only 10 years old.
SPEAKER_02 (21:17):
I'm really like, it really bums me out.
I mean, I'm of Armenian descentand we've been getting
persecuted for literally ahundred years and it's like
decades and it's still going on.
Like we get attacked fromAzerbaijan all the time and it's
(21:39):
all for our faith.
I mean, they use like They makeup reasons to attack us, but
it's always...
I believe it's always for ourfaith.
Probably ask somebody who's notArmenian, and they'll give you
10 reasons as to why they'reattacking us.
But I believe it's because we'reChristians.
And I think...
So how do we change this?
SPEAKER_00 (21:59):
I think we have to talk about it more, right?
Like, I think there needs tobe...
Especially with thisadministration, which I think
does care about Christians.
I do too.
Yeah, they do care aboutChristians that...
Someone's got, we gottaconsistently discuss it and put
it out there on all levels ofsocial media, digital media, and
(22:21):
we just need to talk about itmore because no one really talks
about it.
I wish I had the answer to that,but I'm glad I posted that
because that's how I ended up onthis show.
So that helps, right?
SPEAKER_02 (22:33):
It's almost like our lives are not valued.
SPEAKER_01 (22:40):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (22:41):
And I saw a video yesterday where the Christians
in Syria were made to walk likedogs.
Did you see that video?
No.
The Christians in Syria, thesoldiers are telling them, walk
like a dog, walk like a dog,bark like a dog, and it's just
the most disturbing video.
And I'm like, how is this not onthe radar of the human rights
(23:02):
organizations?
And how is it not...
How does your heart not break?
I don't care if you're Jewish oryou're Muslim.
It's a human rights issue,ultimately, at the end of the
day, and no one cares.
I kind of feel the same wayabout women in Afghanistan.
Do you see what's going onthere?
SPEAKER_00 (23:23):
No, tell me.
SPEAKER_02 (23:25):
So the Taliban now says that women cannot even talk
to each other in public.
It's like...
SPEAKER_00 (23:35):
What is that?
SPEAKER_02 (23:36):
What is that?
I mean, that's not Islam.
SPEAKER_00 (23:39):
No.
SPEAKER_02 (23:39):
Come on.
SPEAKER_00 (23:40):
It's not.
SPEAKER_02 (23:40):
I mean, I have a lot of Muslim friends that don't buy
into that.
And the things that are going onin Afghanistan are like pure
trap.
Seriously, the entire worldneeds to band together.
Like Ukraine, how the rage inUkraine, how we were all sending
money to Ukraine.
There are like, there's likethis whole thing called Bajabazi
(24:02):
boys in Afghanistan, have youheard about it?
Because premarital sex is notallowed in Afghanistan, it's
such a rigid system with, to theletter of the law with religion
that they, and this is not likean isolated incident.
There's a whole documentaryabout it.
They are taking boys under theage of like 16, dressing them up
(24:26):
as women and using them forprostitution.
Basically as slaves.
It's like a sex slave.
You can buy like a poor boy froma family.
And it's called The Dancing Boysof Afghanistan.
There's a whole documentaryaround it.
And I feel like it's just liketheir lives are like mean
nothing like that unrages memore than any war that's going
(24:49):
on
SPEAKER_00 (24:50):
this is pure evil it's pure
SPEAKER_02 (24:52):
evil and i we're just sitting back and doing
nothing about it and i feel likethis is where we can all
collectively it doesn't matterwhat religion you are and say
you know what this is wrong idon't know i didn't mean to get
off
SPEAKER_00 (25:04):
on no i i i agree with you 100 you know it's you
know like when you read thebible like it does prophesize
Christians will suffer.
So it is predicted in the Bible,but I think we just have to talk
about it more and really makesure people are paying
attention.
Because again, like I said inthe beginning, I think it's the
(25:25):
most disrespected faith out ofall the faiths.
SPEAKER_02 (25:27):
110%.
And
SPEAKER_00 (25:30):
the disrespect needs to stop.
SPEAKER_02 (25:32):
Exactly.
And the people who are, I wouldlike, listen, whatever side of
politics you are, right, whetheryou're pro-Israel or not, like
those people that are, like Iwould have so much more respect
for them if they were, okay,okay, you're upset about Gaza
today, yeah, because they're thesmall guy, If you were doing the
(25:56):
same thing for the Bajabaziboys, for the women, for the
Christians, I'd be like, youknow what?
Those are those kind of people,and I can see where they're
coming from.
But like I was saying, theselective rage, I can't relate.
You know what I'm saying?
Because how do you just pick andchoose what you're going to get
enraged about today?
Yeah.
And don't get me wrong.
I think what's going on in Gazais really sad.
(26:18):
But it's just like this...
thousand year war that won'tlike it's just keeps
flip-flopping and it's so sadand there's really no winners
with this whole situation but asfar as the
SPEAKER_00 (26:30):
I get what you're saying it's about humanity
SPEAKER_02 (26:32):
it's about humanity
SPEAKER_00 (26:33):
you just can't be upset at one thing you have to
look at
SPEAKER_02 (26:35):
everything exactly and that's what I'm saying
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
it's not even based on faith it's just humanity
SPEAKER_02 (26:41):
exactly it's a human rights issue it's not even a
faith issue you're upset aboutGaza be upset about the
Christians in In Syria, beingsaid about the Christians in
Yemen and the boys inAfghanistan, the women in
Afghanistan, and it's just...
How about Iran?
I won't even open a can of wormswith Iran, but okay.
What's your favorite saint?
SPEAKER_00 (26:59):
My favorite saint?
Well, obviously, it's going tobe...
It's two saints.
Well, Saint Mary is the all-timegreatest ever.
She's
SPEAKER_02 (27:06):
my girl.
SPEAKER_00 (27:07):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (27:07):
Blessed virgin.
SPEAKER_00 (27:08):
And then my second favorite saint...
Yeah, she's the greatest.
When we have this child, I'mgoing to come back and tell you
The miracle she made for thisbaby.
Is it a boy or a girl?
It's a girl.
Her name's Capri Mary Gerges.
SPEAKER_02 (27:23):
Capri Mary?
SPEAKER_00 (27:23):
Yes.
Okay,
SPEAKER_02 (27:24):
good.
SPEAKER_00 (27:25):
But when she's here, I'll come back and I'll tell you
some of the miracles that havehappened at our own home in St.
Mary.
It's been
SPEAKER_02 (27:32):
amazing.
I have a huge devotion to Mary.
If you go to my room, I just gotthree new Mary books.
I'm just...
I have an obsession with her.
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (27:42):
she's the goat.
She's really the
SPEAKER_02 (27:44):
goat.
I'm a mama's girl.
Your favorite, okay, so...
SPEAKER_00 (27:49):
My second favorite is Padre Pio.
SPEAKER_02 (27:52):
Oh, he's a stud.
SPEAKER_00 (27:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:54):
And he's a gangster.
SPEAKER_00 (27:55):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (27:55):
I heard he was, like, really...
Feisty.
Because I live in Italy part ofthe year, right?
So people have a really strongdevotion to Padre Pio.
And people are like, he wasgangster.
He'd threaten people.
I
SPEAKER_00 (28:07):
like that.
He'd be good in the musicindustry.
Exactly.
A
SPEAKER_02 (28:11):
friend of mine was, because he died not too long
ago.
And a friend of mine was cominginto church one day and he was a
little late.
And he was like, no, get out.
Like, he was like, you're late,don't be late again.
He's like, no, you two get out.
SPEAKER_00 (28:26):
You know, it's funny when Shia LaBeouf did his movie,
and I'm friendly with Shia, itconverted it.
Like, he lived at that monasterybecause he played Father P.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Like, it changed his entirelife.
SPEAKER_02 (28:39):
That's awesome.
SPEAKER_00 (28:39):
Yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_02 (28:40):
And obviously, in Italy, I'm friends with a lot of
priests, and they say he comesto a lot of the exorcisms.
His spirit comes to a lot of theexorcisms, and I think he
threatened one demon, and hesaid, if you don't leave the
body of this person, I'm goingto make this whole church cave
in on you.
(29:01):
And I'm like, I told you he wasa gangster.
And I'm like, okay, it's notvery saintly of you.
But apparently the church cavedin the next day.
SPEAKER_00 (29:08):
Really?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:09):
Yeah,
SPEAKER_00 (29:10):
it's a good choice.
I like this one.
Yeah, I've always admired hisstory and just his piety and
just everything he went through,by the way.
he had struggles with the churchfor a long time.
They thought he was a fraud.
SPEAKER_02 (29:23):
Really?
SPEAKER_00 (29:23):
Yeah, the Vatican did not believe.
He had enemies within thechurch.
SPEAKER_02 (29:27):
The stigmata.
SPEAKER_00 (29:28):
That were bishops.
They were saying, no, this isn'treal.
So it just shows you, like,even, like, you know, we're
talking about the musicindustry, some of the
personalities that we have todeal with.
But even at that church level,Like, there were people in the
Vatican and bishops against him.
Really?
That I did not know.
Yeah, it happens everywhere.
SPEAKER_02 (29:46):
He's a really profound saint, in my opinion,
because I suffer from autoimmunedisease and I have a lot of
aches and pains a lot of thetime.
And I read a quote where hesaid, like, if you live with
pain, like, you're blessed.
Because, like, I didn't reallytotally understand it at the
time, but I've been readingabout it more and I'm, like...
(30:07):
seeing the blessing in it, andthen you can kind of give up
that pain for someone else'ssuffering.
It's like your cross in life.
It's like your cross in life,exactly.
I think he was a pretty...
We don't humanize priests a lotbecause we look at them as like,
they don't get married, theydon't have a lot of life
(30:28):
experiences, but they reallyhave some of the best insight
that I've ever seen in my life.
And I think he's probably the...
biggest testament to that.
SPEAKER_00 (30:39):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02 (30:42):
What's your favorite prayer and why?
SPEAKER_00 (30:43):
My favorite prayer and why?
I really like the Jesus prayer.
Do you know the Jesus prayer?
SPEAKER_02 (30:49):
Which one?
SPEAKER_00 (30:50):
It's a simple prayer that you pray throughout the
day.
It's really more of a monasticprayer that St.
Anthony taught.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,have mercy upon me, a sinner.
You say it throughout the day.
It's a very, very powerfulprayer.
Short, Right to the point.
I like it.
Get your mind and your heartright.
(31:10):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (31:10):
There's
SPEAKER_00 (31:11):
books on it.
SPEAKER_02 (31:12):
I say the Hail Mary about, I have to say, even when
I do a rosary, but probably 20times a day.
SPEAKER_00 (31:19):
Yeah.
I do the rosary too.
Yeah.
Hail Mary is definitely numbertwo right there.
SPEAKER_02 (31:25):
If you had to describe your relationship with
God in one word, what is it?
SPEAKER_00 (31:33):
One word?
SPEAKER_02 (31:33):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (31:35):
I would say it's a partnership.
And the reason why I say that,everything I want to do in my
life, I want God to be mypartner.
Because as long as He's yourpartner in everything, less
(31:55):
chance of messing it up.
To be honest with you.
That's for sure.
Yeah.
I want to be partners with God.
SPEAKER_02 (32:03):
I love
SPEAKER_00 (32:04):
that.
That's how I look at it thatway.
I know it's God, the Almighty,and sometimes it's like
reverence and you pay respects.
But no, I want God to beinvolved in every decision I
make professionally, personally,everything.
Because I'm always seeking forwisdom,
SPEAKER_01 (32:20):
right?
SPEAKER_00 (32:21):
I'm a big believer.
You can literally read the bookof Proverbs because it's
literally all about wisdom andapply it to anything in life and
you'll be very successful.
SPEAKER_02 (32:31):
I think mine is...
protection when I'm scared oreven contemplative.
I'm always like, God, whatshould I do?
Help me.
And I feel like he protects me.
SPEAKER_01 (32:43):
Yeah.
It's good.
SPEAKER_02 (32:44):
Yeah.
My word changes from time totime.
Sometimes it's love.
But mostly it's protection.
I feel protected when I'mconnected to him.
SPEAKER_00 (32:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (32:53):
You know?
SPEAKER_00 (32:54):
It's good.
SPEAKER_02 (32:55):
What are your thoughts on Christian music?
SPEAKER_00 (32:57):
I think it's fantastic.
By the way, coming from theagent world, I look at it...
twofold.
I personally like Christianmusic.
My wife actually put me on tomore Christian music.
I wasn't into it at thebeginning, but she really got me
into it because she, yeah, shegrew up like singing in the
choir and doing all that greatstuff.
So I like it, but I'm also anagent.
(33:18):
So we actually have a divisionfocused on Christian music.
Right.
And it's a big business.
Listen, I know it's a wildlypopular business.
It is.
It sells a lot of tickets,whether it's at arenas, venues,
churches.
Have
SPEAKER_02 (33:37):
you heard of Hakuna?
Mm-mm.
You should really look at it andmaybe think about bringing it
into the United States.
It's a giant...
I want to say Catholicorganization for young adults,
and it's wildly popularoverseas.
And do you know about FatherDavid Michael Moses?
SPEAKER_00 (33:59):
Tell me about him.
SPEAKER_02 (34:01):
He's a priest, and I think he's in a rock band.
SPEAKER_00 (34:03):
Really?
SPEAKER_02 (34:04):
And he sells out like 5,000 person venues.
That's big.
And, wait, I just lost my trainof thought.
There's another.
Oh, Father Thomas.
He's a Dominican priest in Rome.
He's the head of the AngelicumInstitute, which is a seminary
to trade priests.
(34:25):
I think he's like one of thetop.
I don't know if it's Christian,but...
Bluegrass music.
So there's all these things thatare emerging.
I'm not a huge fan of Christianmusic, but I love gospel.
I feel like it's got more soul.
But I guess that's Christian asgospel.
SPEAKER_00 (34:43):
It's like R&B Christian music.
Gospel's R&B Christian music.
SPEAKER_02 (34:46):
So I'm a fan of gospel, but I've never been able
to get into Christian Christian
SPEAKER_00 (34:50):
music.
SPEAKER_02 (34:51):
Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_00 (34:52):
Absolutely.
I think just sitting where I sitin entertainment with music,
content, and what's beingconsumed, There is an appetite
for faith-based music.
100%.
Faith-based content.
Like, we see how big The Chosenis.
It's massive.
SPEAKER_02 (35:06):
Love.
SPEAKER_00 (35:07):
House of David, have you seen that?
SPEAKER_02 (35:09):
I'm planning on seeing it
SPEAKER_00 (35:09):
this weekend.
So good.
This weekend.
It's so good.
I think it's like number one ortwo on Amazon.
I
SPEAKER_02 (35:13):
thought it was...
I read that it was two.
SPEAKER_00 (35:15):
Yeah, there's like an appetite for faith-based
content.
It's big right now.
SPEAKER_02 (35:19):
I have a giant appetite for faith-based
content.
I just haven't been able toconnect with the music yet.
SPEAKER_00 (35:25):
Yeah.
Well, I think with the content,with...
What's better now than it wasbefore was Back then it was kind
of corny when they would dofaith-based projects, TV, films.
Now it's good.
The production's good, thequality's good, the storylines
are good.
SPEAKER_02 (35:38):
Have you seen Cabrini?
SPEAKER_00 (35:40):
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (35:41):
My friend's husband did the movie.
SPEAKER_00 (35:43):
Yeah, amazing.
SPEAKER_02 (35:44):
Yeah, and he's just shot the new Mary movie in
SPEAKER_00 (35:48):
Morocco.
The one on Netflix, or is thatthe...
No, it's coming out.
It's coming out.
SPEAKER_02 (35:50):
It's coming out in Angel Studios.
He was in Morocco, I want tosay, for close to, I don't know,
several, six months if not more,I don't know.
I read about that.
It's Alejandro Monteverde.
Yeah.
And yeah, he's doing big thingsin the Catholic world.
I think he has a deal at AngelStudios to do the Catholic
content
SPEAKER_00 (36:10):
for them.
That's good.
A lot of great IP.
SPEAKER_02 (36:13):
Well, thank you for coming on the show.
I really appreciate you makingthe time.
I know how busy you are.
Thank you
SPEAKER_00 (36:17):
for having
SPEAKER_02 (36:17):
me.
It was fun.
UNKNOWN (36:25):
Thank you.
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