- Randy Williams, originally from San Diego, loves slow jams.
- He loves them so much he named his own micronation Slowjamastan, after them.
- "I ran out of countries, so I created my own," Williams told CNN.
A San Diego man got so tired of living in a regular country he went into the desert in California and founded one.
Randy Williams — the self-appointed sultan of Slowjamastan — told CNN he'd visited every UN-recognized country in the world, bar one: "I ran out of countries, so I created my own," Williams told CNN.
The micronation is an 11.07-acre plot of desert land off Southern California's Route 78. Its official name is the Republic of Slowjamastan, named for its leader's love of slow jams.
On December 1, 2021, Slowjamastan declared its sovereign status and seceded from the US proper, per CNN — and now has its own flag, currency, and national anthem.
—Republic of Slowjamastan (@slowjamastan) June 11, 2023
It even has its own timezone, Slowjamastan Standard Time (SST), and 12 states are contained within the 11-acre space, including Dublândia, the capital.
Williams told CNN he'd visited at least one other micronation: the Republic of Molossia, a similarly sized micronation in Nevada that supposedly seceded from the US in 1998. Inspired by his visit, Williams went home and bought the land in California in October 2021 before declaring the country independent three months later.
Whether the independence of Slowjamastan is recognized or not is debatable. Williams told Insider he's failed to get President Joe Biden to acknowledge his micronation's secession via email and social media. The country's website says it's recognized by "The Sultan's mom" but does not list formal diplomatic relations with any other nations.
In terms of governance, the nation of Slowjamastan currently defines itself as a "dictatorship," though that could change.
"Currently, we have 5,000+ amazing, registered Slowjamastanis in the census," Williams told Insider. "We do not have any elections planned, although it is not off the table. I'm trying to get this beautiful nation off the ground before I let anyone else run it into the ground!"
And it's not like Slowjamastan is a lawless place: It does have some rules, as defined in the "Slowjamastan Laws, Statutes and Regulations."
"Crocs are not allowed inside the Republic of Slowjamastan," the statute reads. "Punishment for violation: We will forcibly remove a 'Croc' and beat you over the head with it."
The sultan, meanwhile, remains gainfully employed in and outside of Slowjamastan.
"When he's not ruling over the world's newest nation, our Dear Leader hosts an internationally syndicated radio show called 'Sunday Night Slow Jams,' currently heard on over 200 radio stations across America," reads Williams' bio on Slowjamastan's website.
Despite being the supreme leader of the land of slow jams, Williams, per his bio, still "spends most of his time outside of Slowjamastan." That's around 70 miles away, where he works as a radio DJ at San Diego stations Magic 92.5 and Z90,
"I visit as often as I can — working mostly out of our American Consulate here in San Diego, California, United States of America," Williams said. "It's here where I enjoy the luxury of electricity and running water. And a roof."
Williams says that he does have "big dreams" for Slowjamastan.
"I do wish to one day construct a grand palace for The Sultan and his harem, but for now, I am concentrating on the people," Williams told Insider.
He says that what's in the works is a lazy river, an interactive armadillo farm, and an all-you-can-eat Mongolian restaurant.
"These are just dreams at the moment, although we have started on the lazy river," Williams said, adding a disclaimer that it's now just "a dry gulch."
"There is no moving water, but on every other Wednesday we bring the sprinkler out," he added.