Drug Dealer to Million Subscriber YouTuber & Comedian (The OG Crew) | A Colourful Past Podcast

Welcome back to A Colourful Past Podcast! I'm your host Danny Shannon, and in this cracker of an episode, we sit down with the incredible Andrew Hamilton: comedian, host of The OG Crew YouTube channel (with over 1.5 million subscribers), and a man who has truly transformed his life.Andrew shares his incredible journey from being arrested by the Raptor Squad and spending time in maximum security prison for drug dealing, to becoming one of Australia's fastest-rising comedians and content creators.In this episode, Andrew reveals:  00:00 - Returning to prison to perform comedy.  01:19 - Introducing Andrew Hamilton (The OG Crew).  02:41 - How Andrew blew up on YouTube doing "Dad Jokes".  04:36 - Living at home with parents despite fame and success.  07:14 - Growing up in Hornsby Heights and a middle-class upbringing.  07:47 - How a gambling addiction led him to start selling ecstasy at university in Bathurst.  09:00 - Trying magic mushrooms in Thailand and a "drugged up spiritual experience".  09:59 - Starting a business selling magic mushroom caps because the taste was so bad.  10:42 - Mushrooms were a Class A drug when he was arrested.  11:15 - Discussing medicinal use of psychedelics.  13:17 - Losing over $2 million on gambling, and the prevalence of "pokies" in New South Wales.  17:49 - His addiction trouble with cocaine, and how he could afford it while dealing.  19:04 - Dealing mushrooms, acid, MDMA, ketamine, and cocaine.  19:47 - His most profitable moment: Mardi Gras week selling in bulk to the gay community.  20:58 - How his ex-fiancée's cocaine psychosis led to his arrest by the Raptor Squad  21:28 - Getting the door smashed in while flushing drugs down the toilet.  21:45 - Refused bail and his first day in prison (Parklea/Long Bay).  24:37 - Starting stand-up comedy while on house arrest and taking his mum to open mic nights.  26:07 - How the judge appreciated the "novelty" of his comedy and gave him an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO).  27:39 - Returning to Silverwater Maximum Security prison to perform stand-up for inmates.  29:39 - Laughing in prison saved him and inspired his comedy.  32:17 - How he achieved 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and billions of views.  33:18 - The "dad jokes" challenge: do a shot of vodka if you laugh.  34:06 - Being an "extra" on a viral channel making the owner millions.  34:36 - Getting fired twice and launching The OG Crew.  36:30 - Gaining a million subscribers in 5 months on The OG Crew.  41:54 - Being **ripped off** and losing $35,000 from a stand-up tour after his manager went insolvent.  43:10 - Andrew's life as a full-time Standup Comedian and YouTuber.  46:48 - The "voice" in Long Bay prison telling him to start comedy.  50:10 - Mention of his book, The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison.Andrew's story proves that your past does not define your future. Watch now to hear how he turned a 'colourful past' into a successful and inspiring career.Connect with Andrew Hamilton:  YouTube: The OG Crew  Book: The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison  #AndrewHamilton  #TheOGCrew  #Comedian  #StandUpComedy  #YouTubeCreator  #PrisonStory  #Rehabilitation  #RecoveryJourney  #GamblingAddiction  #DrugDealing  #RaptorSquad  #ColorfulPastPodcast  #DannyShannon  #MushroomCaps  #EntrepreneurSEO Keywords (In Demand)   Andrew Hamilton comedian   The OG Crew YouTube   Andrew Hamilton prison  Comedian drug dealer  Andrew Hamilton interview  Magic mushrooms in Australia  Stand up comedy journey  YouTube success story  Raptor Squad arrest  Gambling addiction recovery  Intensive Corrections Order  Parklea prison  Long Bay jail  Australian comedy