Jesse Rya was playing his guitar outside the store and improvising some singing when some minutes later, Howard Mullins, a gentleman in a blue sports jersey, joined in and started to sing the words, “Tell them that I just don’t know, yeah.” Then, a guy in a yellow construction vest, Ron “Roadwork” Lashley came in and started freestyle-rapping. All of this was captured on video by Jamie Maldonado, a bystander who was working at the Family Dollar store at the time. The song was later called “Just Don’t Know,” which can be heard several times in the chorus throughout the video.
The original video went viral twice on YouTube with a combined total of over 60 million views. Not long after the video blew up, the three men were invited to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with Trey Songz, Juicy J and Aloe Blacc. They also performed “Just Don’t Know” at a live show at the House of Blues in Dallas that same year. Rya was even asked to perform at the wedding of K104 host Lady Jade.
But it's been a while since many people have heard of the Random Guys, so we caught up with them for some updates. They are all still making music. Rya and Lashley still record songs together while Howard went solo to focus on his career as a gospel artist.
When we sat down to talk to Rya, he still had the cheerful, animated spirit — and beard — we've come to know through his videos. His YouTube channel has over 16,000 subscribers for whom he uploads new music frequently. Some fans and commenters wonder why he never signed to a record label or why he hasn't toured nationally. The answer is simple: Rya has always disliked fame.
“I don’t know how to achieve international stardom because that status just doesn’t appeal to me,” Rya says. “I definitely am happier whenever I’m just playing music for people. That doesn’t necessarily have to mean achieving fame.”
He uses YouTube as a way to interact with his fans and upload new music such as his latest song, “Drive All Night,” with Joe Bizz and Rob Dillow. With the platform, he says he has the ability to control and release songs whenever he wants. Every other week, you can find him going on live broadcasts to record and perform new tracks. He’ll sometimes play full sets with about 40 songs, both originals and covers.
“I am fully independent," he says. "When I upload music to YouTube, I don’t really need a manager for that. Instead, I can just rely on myself. When I do my online videos, it feels like a coffee shop-type vibe. I really like the environment. When people are commenting live, it feels like I am simply there with them hanging out.”
Music has long been important in Rya’s life. He’s been playing guitar since he was 12 and was raised in a musical household where everyone — his stepdad, his uncle, his uncle’s best friend and his mother, who is a singer — played guitar. He says he learned how to play just by watching them.
Rya's signature, percussive sound has evolved and was influenced most recently by progressive alt-rock and hip-hop.
“It’s a downbeat, nod-your-head type of style," he says. "My sound is more chill.”
Occasionally, Rya teaches guitar lessons on the side. He says that people still send him their own covers of “Just Don’t Know,” and he receives messages from fans who want him to know he’s inspired them, along with videos of guitar covers.
“I play music for the internet,” Rya says. “All I want to do is to make music and be able to use that to enjoy life and to connect with other people who feel the same way.”
Record labels have approached him over the years, but Rya says he never signed to any because they couldn't come to a financial agreement. He decided it was best to work independently as an artist.
“I’ve gone viral twice by accident. ... I didn’t have to do anything other than sit with my guitar and then next thing you know, 40 million views,” Rya says. “If I truly wanted fame, I could have achieved that. I could have easily gone to the gym, taken my shirt off, and then boom, instant fame. But that wasn’t my ultimate goal — the goal was to make music all along, I never wanted to be a pop star. ”
Ryan says that some of the producers he worked with did not accommodate his acoustic leanings, so finding the right label was a shot in the dark.
“I’m a street musician, so I don’t have a lot of studio experience,” Rya says. “When I get to the studio, things have to be a certain way for me, and it’s hard to find someone to correctly mic up my guitar.”
He also did not feel that it was in his best interest for the Three Random Guys to force what was once an organic meeting and connection into a venture such as a long-term band. Rya says he was offered a contract to record “Just Don’t Know” without Lashley and Mullins, but he didn't feel that was ethical. Rya says he sincerely believes that the song was conceived equally by the trio.
“I just hate business; I don’t have a capitalist mindset,” Rya says. “I’m only good at things when it comes to the artistic part of making music, not business."
Rya says he will always remain true to his roots, as a street performer living in the moment.
“I’m not interested in social norms, pop culture or fads in order to make it,” Rya says. “I’m not into vanity or materialism. I don’t feel like editing my outward appearance. That’s what happens when you sign to a label.”
James Brown, Rya’s booking manager, has been with the musician even before the Jimmy Kimmel days. He says Rya has never seen the appeal of going mainstream.
“Jesse just wants to sing and play his guitar. He is not one to push for fame,” Brown says. “Music can bring three random guys together, but greed can also rip them apart.”
“Jesse just wants to sing and play his guitar. He is not one to push for fame ... Music can bring three random guys together, but greed can also rip them apart." –James Brown, Jesse Rya's manager
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Even with a small studio audience on Jimmy Kimmel, Rya says he felt uneasy. They had given him a guitar strap and he was supposed to perform standing up. As anxious as he was, an equally calm and collected Aloe Blacc told him that it was going to be all right.
“I remember turning to Aloe Blacc and telling him I can’t do this, but he encouraged me to keep going,” Rya says. “I was so nervous that I didn’t know what to do, so I just sat down on the stage.”
Lashley had been feeling the same way and remembers he was trying not to forget his verse while coming down the studio's stairs. He kept repeating to himself, “Don’t fall!” This is why some poor guy in the audience did not get a high-five from him.
Rya says that after Kimmel he stayed in touch with Trey Songz, but Rya lost the singer's number after he dropped his phone into a trash chute by a convenience store. It was next to impossible to recover the phone.
“Trust me, I was more than upset that it happened," Rya says with a laugh. "There was nothing I could have done to save it.”
And that was the last time he'd hear from Songz.
Lashley says the yellow construction vest he wore during the group's original performance was a real vest that he had to wear to work construction for a temporary agency assignment that day. As he recalls, he was having a terrible day and was going into the convenience store by Kroger to cash his check. On his way, he saw Rya and Mullins jamming and decided to jump in and rap. At the end of the video, you can hear him saying, “Thank you, I really needed that!”
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Lashley also grew up with musician family members and is active today on YouTube, where he uploads his freestyles, livestreams and music videos, sometimes with his moniker "Mista Work." He doesn’t like having his work classified into a genre.
“The best way that I can describe my music is basically … the thin line between smiles and cries,” he says.
One of Lashley’s latest songs is an original with Rya called “Stressed Out,” which they recorded at The Rechordium at EMP in Arlington. In the song, Lashley raps and sings along with Rya’s vocals about living through tough times and venting about daily life struggles. They also worked on other tracks after sending each other instrumentals, lyrics and song ideas.
“If I ask Jesse to send me a riff from his guitar, he’s always there for me. It’s rare to get someone who always has your back,” Lashley says. “If the chips are down, I know I can always rely on him both as a person and as an artist.”
Lashley and Rya built a strong connection and a true friendship over the years. Ever since they met up again on Jimmy Kimmel, Lashley knew that they were going to get along.
“Before we even knew we were supposed to be making music together, the universe definitely knew, and that’s why we met on that day,” Lashley says with a smile. “We were more a lot alike than either of us knew at the beginning.”
They also share a love for video games and play Mortal Kombat together. Even if Rya were to lose his phone again, he knows he'll have no problem getting in contact with Lashley.
“He knows I have the PlayStation app, so if I’m having a bad day and he sees me there, he’ll come check on me and send me a message,” Lashley says. “Sometimes, we’ll even bounce some song ideas through it, too.”
Lashley also feels that the world of Hollywood wasn’t for them and that they were meant to keep playing music for the pure enjoyment and connection.
“I don’t make music for everybody, I make music for me," Lashley says. "I make music for my kiddos and that’s what Jesse has taught me.”
Even from the very beginning, the two built a rapport by connecting on a deeply human level.
“The first time we went viral, Jesse and I were talking and completely forgot about the situation,” Lashley says. “We ended talking about space, aliens and just anything unrelated to fame. That’s where our bond came from. It was all about just the music for us.”
Lashley says he gets recognized occasionally but he doesn’t mind if it’s a person who approaches him humbly.
“Even though the fame isn’t really my thing, I do appreciate the local fans," Lashley says. "Sometimes people will ask me, ‘Hey, aren’t you the guy from that one video with the guy and his guitar?’ When I hear that, it makes me so grateful to hear that people still remember the music.”
Fans can still find the pair together live on YouTube, where they often perform and debut new singles. Sometimes, they’ll even do Q& A sessions together while improvising and playing music in between. They are dedicated to their fans and try to respond to each and every comment.
At the moment, they are recording new music at the The Rechordium at EMP on tentative new tracks such as “Sky Scraper,” “Be Good” and “Immortalized.” When they aren’t able to meet up in the studio, they record together remotely.
“I mainly record my vocals and he’ll record a few licks over his phone and shoot it to me over email, and I import it into the session, and we bounce back and forth doing that,” Lashley says.
Mullins could not be reached. He is doing his own thing now as a gospel singer. They may have lost touch as a trio, but Rya and Lashley are grateful they get to play together and will do it as long as they can.
“I love the guy," Lashley says of Rya. "He taught me a lot of things. That’s a friendship I truly value. We’re still collaborating on future projects, and we aren’t going anywhere.”
A whole new album isn’t out of the realm of possibilities for the two, if the fans want it. Sometimes they'll attend an open mic together or even play on the streets.
“Even if 30 people are listening versus 30 million, it doesn’t matter,” Rya says. “It’s about appreciating art. If we have achieved that with one person, then that is more than enough for me.”
