R Dub!

Last updated

Williams serves as the self-proclaimed sultan of his own micronation, the Republic of Slowjamastan, located in Imperial County, Southern California. [13] [14] He became inspired to create his own model country after visiting the Republic of Molossia, another micronation in Dayton, Nevada, in August 2021. When he returned from the trip he immediately began working on plans for his own micronation, purchasing an 11.07 acres (4.48 ha) plot of desert land in October for US$19,000. On 1 December, he declared the Republic of Slowjamastan an independent state. Although Slowjamastan has no building structures, it contains a large border sign beside the California State Route 78 highway, a border control post and an open desk that serves as Williams' office. [15] [16] There are plans for expanding the territory. [17]

Williams has represented Slowjamastan at events in the micronational community such as MicroCon. [18]

Travel

Williams is one of at least 250 people to have visited all 193 United Nations member states. [19] [20] He maintains a blog on his travels under the name Ramblin' Randy. [21] Williams has also visited both United Nations observer states, Palestine and Vatican City, and the partially recognized states of Kosovo, Taiwan, Transnistria, and Western Sahara. [19] Williams visited his final country, Turkmenistan, on 8 May 2023. Turkmenistan had only resumed tourism in March 2023 after the country was closed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [22] [23] While he was expecting Turkmenistan to be anti-climactic, he enjoyed it immensely and called it among his "top three trips and countries of [his] entire life". [22]

Inspired by his visit to Brazil, Williams' first goal was to visit all countries in Central and South America, excluding the Caribbean, before he turned 40—which he completed. [19] [24] Williams combined vacation time and other paid time off—such as public holidays—to best optimise his travels, which he mapped out on spreadsheets. He once visited 14 countries in Africa within 21-days. Outside of the United States, Williams' longest trip was to Brazil when he moved there for two years, and his shortest time spent was in French Guiana—an overseas department of France—where he had to depart on the same day of his arrival. [19]

Speaking on his travels, Williams appeared in an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show on 1 May 2023, where he stated his favourite food was from Lebanon and that the most hospitable people were from the Philippines. [25]

Bibliography

Filmography

R Dub!
Rdub-slowjams.jpg
Sultan of Republic of Slowjamastan
Assumed office
Dec 1, 2021
YearTitleRoleRef
2005 Judge Mathis Himself [26]
2013 Shark Tank [27]
2023 The Kelly Clarkson Show [25]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadoe Stevens</span> American radio host

Shadoe Stevens is an American radio host, voiceover actor, and television personality. He was the host of American Top 40 from 1988 to 1995. He currently hosts the internationally syndicated radio show Top of the World, and co-hosts Mental Radio, an approach to UFOs and paranormal topics. He was co-founder and creator of Sammy Hagar's rock station "Cabo Wabo Radio" which broadcast from the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In television, he was the announcer for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS and, as of July 2015, serves as the primary continuity announcer for the Antenna TV network. His voice can also be heard as the voiceover for "G.O.D." in the Off-Broadway musical Altar Boyz. Stevens is also often heard on Hits & Favorites, calling in at least once a week to share wisdom with his brother Richard Stevens and their friend Lori St. James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEPN-FM</span> ESPN Radio station in New York City

WEPN-FM (98.7 MHz) branded ESPN New York, is a sports radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Emmis Communications and its operations are controlled by Good Karma Brands, under a local marketing agreement. The station's transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWPR-FM</span> Urban contemporary radio station in New York City

WWPR-FM is an urban contemporary music radio station licensed to New York City. WWPR-FM is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios in the former AT&T Building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan; its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building. The station is the flagship station of the nationally syndicated morning show, The Breakfast Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUSL</span> Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WUSL is a commercial radio station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It carries a mainstream urban radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia The studios and offices are on Presidential Boulevard in Bala Cynwyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDAY</span> Radio station in Redondo Beach, California

KDAY is a radio station that is licensed to Redondo Beach, California and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Media and airs a classic hip hop format. The station's studios are located in Burbank and its transmitter is in Baldwin Hills. KDAY also extends its signal coverage into the Inland Empire by adding a full power simulcast, KDEY-FM in Ontario, California to fill in all of the overlapping and gaping issues and problems in its eastern coverage area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KISV</span> Radio station in Bakersfield, California

KISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW. Its studios are located at the Easton Business Complex in southwest Bakersfield, and its transmitter is located east of the city.

A slow jam is music with rhythm and blues and soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or downtempo songs, and are mostly soft-sounding with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. The earliest known use of the term is the 1983 Midnight Star recording "Slow Jam" on their album No Parking on the Dance Floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramblin' Man (The Allman Brothers Band song)</span> Single by The Allman Brothers Band

"Ramblin Man" is a song by American rock band The Allman Brothers Band, released in August 1973 as the lead single from the group's fourth studio album, Brothers and Sisters (1973). Written and sung by the band's guitarist, Dickey Betts, it was inspired by a 1951 song of the same name by Hank Williams. It is much more grounded in country music than other Allman Brothers Band compositions, which made the group reluctant to record it. Guitarist Les Dudek provides guitar harmonies, and it was one of bassist Berry Oakley's last contributions to the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Laboe</span> American radio host, producer, and songwriter (1925–2022)

Art Laboe was an American radio host, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KOHT</span> Radio station in Marana, Arizona

KOHT is an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary station serving Tucson, Arizona, and is licensed to Marana,. It has been owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. since July 30, 2001 and broadcasts with an ERP of 6 kW. The station's playlist is primarily Rhythmic Top 40, hip hop and R&B. Its studios are located north of downtown Tucson along Oracle Road, while the transmitter site is near the Tortolita Mountains in unincorporated Pima County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHUD</span> Radio station in Tucson, Arizona

KHUD is a country radio station in Tucson, Arizona. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. The radio studios and offices are located north of downtown Tucson along Oracle Road. On weekdays, KHUD carries two nationally syndicated country music shows from co-owned Premiere Networks: The Bobby Bones Show in morning drive time and After Midnite with Granger Smith, heard overnight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMMA (FM)</span> Radio station in Green Valley, Arizona

KMMA is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Green Valley, Arizona and serving the Tucson metropolitan area. It carries a Spanish Contemporary radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on North Oracle Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNST</span> News/talk radio station in Tucson, Arizona

KNST is a commercial radio station in Tucson, Arizona, airing a news/talk radio format. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and serves Greater Tucson, including the suburbs of Marana, Oro Valley, Green Valley, Sahuarita, Sierra Vista, and Vail. KNST's studios and offices are on Oracle Road, north of Downtown Tucson.

KTUC is a commercial radio station in Tucson, Arizona. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a conservative talk radio format, known as "Freedom 1400". KTUC's studios and transmitter are on Nixon Low Way, off Roger Road. KTUC is Class C AM station, powered at 1,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTKT</span> Radio station in Tucson, Arizona

KTKT – branded La Buena 94.3 – is a commercial Spanish language adult hits radio station licensed to serve Tucson, Arizona. Owned by Lotus Communications, the covers the Tucson metropolitan area and Southern Arizona. The KTKT studios and transmitter are both located in northwest Tucson; in addition to a standard analog transmission, KTKT is simulcast over low-power Tortolita translator K232FD, and is available online.

MicroCon is a biennial summit or conference of micronationalists held in every other year since April 11, 2015. The event was created by Kevin Baugh of the Republic of Molossia, and every summit since has been hosted by a different micronation. MicroCon is a significant event in the micronational community, serving as a venue for exchanging ideas between micronationalists. The event has also been compared to the micronational equivalent of a session of the United Nations General Assembly. The largest edition, MicroCon 2019 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, had 113 attendees from 43 micronations. MicroCon 2023 was the first edition to consist of two separate events: an American summit in Joliet, Illinois, and a European summit in Ypres, Belgium.

The DUSK Music Festival (DUSK) is an annual two-day music festival held at Jácome Plaza, in Tucson, Arizona in early November. Founded by John Rallis, Page Repp and Pete Turner in 2016, DUSK has three stages where musical artists from genres including rock, indie, country, EDM and hip hop perform for fans. The performances typically begin around 12:00 PM and continue until 11:00 PM on Saturday, and Sunday during the festival with various stages spread out in the urban plaza setting. Approximately 15,000 people attend the festival each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Slowjamastan</span> Micronation in California

The Republic of Slowjamastan is a micronation in Imperial County, Southern California, United States. Founded on December 1, 2021, by slow jam DJ Randy Williams, Slowjamastan is located on an empty plot of desert land along State Route 78. Although Slowjamastan has no structures, located on the plot of land is a large border sign by the highway, a border control post and an open desk that serves as the Williams' office—the sultan of the micronation. He founded Slowjamastan following a visit to Molossia, another micronation located in Dayton, Nevada, in August 2021, and purchased the plot of land in October for US$19,000.

Sunday Night Slow Jams is an American weekly syndicated radio program dedicated to slow jams music. Created on 24 July 1994, it is directed and presented by creator R Dub!, and broadcast on more than 200 radio stations in 17 countries as of May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Levine, Joshua (October 24, 2013). "Goddamn, That DJ Made My Day!". Tucson Weekly . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Burke, Bob (December 4, 2009). "Fusion Radio Networks President Randy "R Rub!" Williams". FMQB . Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Severson, Ed (January 27, 1999). "DJ rising at night". Arizona Daily Star . p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Villarreal, Phil (June 23, 2000). "Dance clubs open doors to youths on summer eves". Arizona Daily Star. p. 91 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Benztown Releases Free Art Laboe Radio Specials". Radio Online. October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ Mauet, Sarah (February 17, 2005). "Gettin' down with slow jams". Arizona Daily Star. p. 52 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Gay, Gerald M. (February 19, 2009). "R Rub keeping it slow". Arizona Daily Star. p. C3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "About R Rub!". Sunday Night Slow Jams (Official website). n.d. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Slow Jams 4 Kids To Help Children In Africa". Radio Ink . January 30, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ Willis, Damien (February 16, 2017). "EPIC 48: The greatest contest of all-time". Las Cruces Sun-News . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Second annual Slow Jams for Kids". Benztown. January 25, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ Trey the Choklit Jok (January 25, 2018). "Help R Dub (from The Slow Jam Show) Save Lives!". KOOC . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Radin, Danielle (July 5, 2023). "Man creates own 'micronation' in Southern California: Slowjamastan". CBS News . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ Southern, Keiran (June 16, 2023). "Inside Slowjamastan, where a DJ sultan declared independence from US" . The Times . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ Collett, Richard (June 21, 2023). "He ran out of countries to visit, so he created his own". CNN . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  16. ↑ Cutchin, James B. (February 3, 2022). "New micronation 'Slowjamastan' rises from the desert … sort of". The Desert Sun . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  17. ↑ Landecker, John (June 21, 2023). "Meet the benevolent dictator of the Republic of Slowjamastan: Sultan Randy 'R Dub!' Williams". WGN Radio . Event occurs at 02:40–03:03. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  18. ↑ Ulrich, Amanda (July 23, 2023). "Welcome to Slowjamastan! The desert micronation with no Crocs and no taxes". The Guardian . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Bell, Diane (April 15, 2023). "San Diegan visits every country in the world". San Diego Union-Tribune . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  20. ↑ Encinas, Ciara (May 17, 2023). "San Diego man accomplishes goal of traveling to every country in the world". KGTV . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  21. ↑ Blair, Jonny (August 14, 2017). "World Travellers: Randy Williams AKA Ramblin' Randy". Don't Stop Living. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  22. 1 2 Bell, Diane (May 13, 2023). "Column: Visiting every country in the world fails to end wanderlust". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Central Asia tightens restrictions as coronavirus spreads". Reuters . March 21, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  24. ↑ Gazarian, Ric (July 20, 2017). "Randy Williams – 86 countries … and counting!". GlobalGaz. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  25. 1 2 "DJ Ramblin' Randy Has Visited 192 Countries — Only 1 Left to Go!". NBC San Diego . May 1, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  26. ↑ R Dub! and Sunday Night Slow Jams vs. Andy Saenz on Judge Mathis (Video). April 11, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2023– via YouTube.
  27. ↑ Griswold, Alison (October 13, 2013). "Even A Flashy Pitch Couldn't Make This Radio Show A Hit On 'Shark Tank'". Business Insider . Retrieved October 14, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.