Becoming internet famous has been an unattainable dream for many since social media was first created, but for the creators of Slushy Noobz, Martin and Hamzah, it’s merely a reality they intend to create. The Toronto-based duo has garnered a loyal fanbase of over a million subscribers on YouTube in just under three years. Their content, which is by far the most diverse I’ve observed on a YouTube channel, ranges from gaming videos—their primary content—to challenges, mukbangs, vlogs, skits, and collaborations with other creators.
Additionally, the two co-host a podcast with almost 400,000 subscribers called Out of Character, which was made in April of 2021 by Hamzah, who, for a while, took to solo interviewing guests—something he notes in an interview with Dazed as a “cardinal sin” he made due to its tough nature—before Martin joined in 2024. Since then, the two have not braved the interview format on their podcast, with only close friends occasionally joining for laid-back conversations about essentially anything.
Based on the growth of both their channels, the duo seems to be doing something right. However, it’s important to note that the success of Martin and Hamzah, both on YouTube and TikTok, was not overnight but the result of a long-term plan still in the making.
In their interview with Dazed, Martin explained that their elaborate plotting and Easter-egg-filled videos aren’t “all for nothing,” as the duo is “just trying to take over the internet.” While this ending comment may seem insignificant, Martin and Hamzah’s strategic rebranding and elaborately planned boxing match, which, in my opinion, brought them to mainstream status, definitely proves otherwise and is certainly worth discussing as we near the third anniversary of the Slushy Noobz YouTube Channel.
In a true testament to fate, Martin and Hamzah were ironically brought together by none other than TikTok. As explained in their Dazed interview, the duo formed after their individual videos appeared on each other’s For You Page, which sparked a connection strengthened by their fascination with the internet.
Conveniently, they both live in Canada, with Martin having been born and raised there. Hamzah was unfortunately forced to move there out of fear of being deported for his Yemeni heritage, an experience he claims inspired him to start posting on the internet. After meeting up a few times in Toronto, Martin proposed that the two of them start a gaming channel together, which they considered the easiest and most authentic entry into YouTube, and something they knew they both loved.
From there, the two reportedly sourced the “Slushy Noobz” name from ChatGPT by asking the AI bot to generate a name for a gaming channel using the meme “wocky slush.” In a similar, humorous fashion, they created their original YouTube icon using a picture of their faces morphed together. Although it was soon scrapped, it remains a major source of inspiration for their current branding, such as their Instagram bio: “two brothers two souls.”
As the steady growth of Slushy Noobz began, so did the process of transforming the channel into a business. In an interview with the podcast The Internet Is Dead, TikTok creator Chase Rutherford suggested that by the time Slushy Noobz reached 150,000 subscribers, a visual rebrand was already underway.
To elaborate, after reconnecting with Hamzah, whom Rutherford had drifted apart from after leaving their group channel (also shared with Claire Drake and Hayley Sharp), 4freakshow. Rutherford was asked by Hamzah for his opinion on a couple of commissioned Slushy Noobz logos. After taking a look at the different logo ideas, Rutherford—who, at the time, was in his last semester of college and unsure of what he wanted to do for work—put his own forward.
Rutherford’s idea not only led to the creation of the current Slushy Noobz icon but also gained him a job as the creative director for Slushy Noobz, which he was personally offered by Martin and Hamzah. Rutherford, reflecting on the moment, admitted that “the idea of a YouTube channel with 150,000 subscribers having a creative director is crazy,” but concluded that he loves doing his job.
The passion each individual involved with Slushy Noobz has for the channel is entirely obvious, not only in how highly their team speaks of it, but also in the time, effort, and planning dedicated to it, as seen in projects like their boxing match that took place last February. This all began after their first-ever live stream was posted to the Slushy Noobz YouTube that features Martin and Hamzah shaving each other’s heads. Shortly after, the near-bald duo announced on their podcast that they would be taking a break that ended up lasting throughout January.
However, unbeknownst to fans, during this break, they were actually executing pre-developed plans and training for their upcoming boxing event, and shaving their heads had only been the tip of the iceberg. A weigh-in for this match was announced a day before it was to be held on Feb. 5, leaving many to speculate whether this was all a big joke, even though the signs had been in front of them for a whole month.
In late January, posters promoting an art exhibition for Slushy Noobz, to be held during the first week of February at the Dianna Witte Gallery in Toronto, were posted in the area. These posters referenced the 1985 Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat art exhibition, which was clearly meant to hint at Martin and Hamzah’s upcoming boxing match.
According to Puck Magazine, the exhibition—featuring paintings by Martin and Hamzah, curated by Rutherford—also aimed to address how “today’s meme-culture humor, often layered with irony and self-awareness, mirrors the Surrealist and Absurdist approaches of the past, forging a relationship between the two,” with Warhol’s art acting as their inspiration.
Finally, the boxing match was held on Feb. 8, with Hamzah winning after three rounds. The lead-up to the fight, the match itself, and a Q&A session afterwards, were all streamed live on YouTube, capturing Martin and Hamzah as they prepared to step into the ring. To allow viewers to get a better look inside their heads during the months leading up to this event, Slushy Noobz uploaded a two-part documentary titled Slushy Noobz Out of Character – The Documentary to their Patreon.
While this documentary isn’t easily accessible because it’s locked behind a paywall, The General Journal states that it “takes you back to July 2024, showing the process behind their merch, podcast, and their overall channel. Revealing all the ups and downs that come along with this lifestyle. July 2024 is when they started training for their boxing match. Before they even started their break, they were thinking ahead and planned out the next several months.”
As for the explanation for why they decided to do all of this, from shaving their heads to paying almost entirely out of pocket for everything, Hamzah simply stated on their 100th episode of Out of Character that “it was just something that needed to happen.” In the end, it seems that hosting the boxing match worked out in their favor. Not only did all the talk about the event attract a huge number of views and new fans, but it also ultimately brought Martin and Hamzah closer together.
When I first stumbled across Slushy Noobz, I was shocked to see that one of the TikTokers I had followed years ago during quarantine, Hamzah, was still making content on YouTube. After watching one of Slushy Noobz‘s videos, which remains my favorite to this day, titled “Whole Foods Mukbang 4K 60 FPS,” I instantly became a fan of Martin and Hamzah’s humor, friendship, and “anything goes” personality.
I now find myself even more impressed by the duo after learning how much passion and dedication have been put into their channel. In stark contrast to the unserious characters Martin and Hamzah portray in their videos, the two close friends have approached the branding and legacy of their channel with extreme intentionality that has brought them remarkable success in only three years.