More than 25,000 self-proclaimed citizens have pledged their allegiance to this faux dictatorship, where Crocs and reply-all emails are forbidden.
Between the date palm farms of California’s Coachella Valley and the Mexican border, a sunburnt stretch of desert the colour of worn khakis extends as far as the eye can see. This arid no-man’s land is dotted with knee-high scrub bushes and spindly branches. The air vibrates with the steady hiss of insects. And shimmering in the distance, there’s a submarine.
This is The Republic of Slowjamastan, the world’s youngest micronation. Spread across 11 acres that unspool like a long ballad, these scorched badlands occupy territory drivers typically pass without a second glance. Yet, step inside and the real world slips away. In this “country”, Crocs are constitutionally banned. Reply-all emails are forbidden by law. Speeding is permitted, but only if you’re racing home with tacos. The national animal is the raccoon.
At the centre of it all is Randy Williams – also known as the “Sultan of Slowjamastan”. When he’s not lording over coyotes, desert iguanas and roughly 25,000 “citizens” who call his desert dictatorship home, he’s the programme director for Z90 and Magic 92.5 radio stations in San Diego and is known across the airwaves as “R Dub”. Since 1994, he has also hosted the radio show Sunday Night Slow Jams, which is now syndicated to more than 250 stations worldwide.
Hellbound and Down 