and

just kind of looked around at some other podcast and was like, basically, oh, I could do this.

So it really was.

It was just like that.

So to put it together and just to call over a few friends to sit on the couch and have a conversation is... really, really cool because people enjoy it.

And doing interviews all the time, I've done thousands of them and you kind of get bored with the setup.

I said, if I ever did something like this, I wanted to make it where my guests would feel comfortable, where it wasn't like, you know, I throw a question, you answer it, that type of thing.

What does the prep look like for you guys? Because I must say, you guys are looking pretty fit still.

Mm-hmm.

Like these guys on and off camera, 'cause a lot of the people that I have, uh, done the show with are friends of mine.

So to be able to sit and talk to them about just some of the experiences they've all had is really, really fascinating.

Because even though we're all in the same business, our roads are completely different.

And, and how they've, uh, acquired their success and managed to keep it in a lot of cases is really fun for me because I get to learn more about the people who I call friends, but also people who I'm fans of.

So just to hear what they've gone through, to see how they've gotten out of it, to see how they continue to maintain a level of success is always a treat for me as a guy sitting across from them.

Again, they are my friends, but I'm fans of theirs too.

Has there been one conversation, and I, I hate being asked this question, but has there been one conversation, one interview that's really stood out for you, that really kind of you left with a changed perspective on that person?

Okay.

But to, but to answer your question, yeah, people were taking advantage.

People were stealing from us.

People were, uh...

Because I think, and, and I'm gonna give you a, an example in a minute, but I think that it even shocked the people that worked with us.

People didn't understand why we were so successful.

They didn't get it.

Right.

So

it was one of those things where it was like, so whenever somebody would ask us to sing, we would hit, boom, acapella.

On the spot.

On the spot.

So it just so happened that through some of, I'm not saying that was the whole reason why people loved us, but it just so happened that those things were happening.

around the time where we were saying, hey, we're an acapella group.

We can sing opposed to the other guys.

Talk that talk, Sean.

And what made you transition to, hey, let's do a podcast?

I'm going to tell you how it happened.

And I always wanted to kind of get into the multimedia world, but never knew how.

Right.

So I was doing a podcast already and I'm sitting there and I'm answering questions and I'm having a good time and I'm laughing and everything.

So when it was all done, I sat there and I looked around cameras like.

And I said, out loud, I said, I can do this shit.

Yep.

Mm-hmm.

You know, we learned a lot about each other's personalities as well as just understanding ... you know, how the business went.

So, you know, you had your share of highs and lows and ups and downs, but at the end of the day, it's all about the, the, it, it's, better is the end of a thing than the beginning of a thing.

Mm-hmm

... um, it's a real true brotherhood.

And, uh, we're like real siblings, and I've said that, that's why you see, you can, we go through our ups and downs, our battles.

We done had some ups and downs and all of the, the above.

But at this stage of our lives, when we come together, man, it's like, it's just nothing but laughter.

Mm-hmm.

I was gonna say, Mike, and to follow that, was Gerald was your mentor.

And just like what, you know, we were start talking about earlier about other guys talking about us being their mentors and it's so funny because when you influence or you're being taught the game, you rocking with the game.

You're rocking with it-

Right

... and you're learning as you go.

But I can say this in a nutshell.

Listen, we all have been through a journey, been through some ups and downs, some changes and turnarounds in our lives.

[laughs]

I do wanna ask, you know, every, every artist/manager or artist/executive relationship has its highs and lows.

When you look back, what was some of the biggest misunderstandings or, or lessons y'all learned from, you know, each other? Um, I guess you could say, like with any relationship, I mean, in, in, in a group, 'cause even when Biv signed us years ago, it was almost like him being the fifth member at the time.

Mm.

And I think it was more like a dynamic type thing.

Mm-hmm.

You know, we learned a lot about each other's personalities as well as just understanding, you know, how the business went.

Because, you know, it's, it's funny how certain people in the industry tend to think that they could score points on us because maybe we don't-

Mm-hmm.

Then it was a classic Babyface record.

Like, you know, we were already just high off of the stuff that he recorded for himself and other people, so his sound and his algorithm was already out there.

So put that together with a group that people are loving right now, and not downplaying the performance, because we sang our hearts out in it.

You felt the soul into it, because one, in the process of us recording it, we wanted to impress these guys.

It was our first time meeting these dudes that we loved and, and listened to on our personal time.

So it wasn't about it being nervous or anything like that.

Mm, mm, mm, mm.