R.I.P. Great Master of Beats. “Too fast to live, too young to die” is the motto for some… The good always die young. Soul is immortal, and in the afterlife we go into the internet to be enjoyed by all.

RESPECT, listen to Jay Dilla, Slum Village, … it just gets better with time, like a good wine. Jay Dilla was a hip hop visionary, he went to places where no man could go, may the beats live on, timeless tracks that flow like water off the brain when it rain. Instrumental or what have you, Jay Dilla is the Picasso of sound.

This post is dedicated to perfection, its seldom that beings attain to such greatness. Mary J. Blige is one such person that if there is such a thing as perfection, she is it. Her voice is angelic, soul she is not lacking in, and her style is timeless. ‘Empty Bamboo’ would like to honor Mary J. this month with a two thumbs way up - grandmaster shout out to the lovely, Miss Mary J. Blige for being such an inspiration vocally and visually… Thank you, and God Bless.

My buddies wife just had a baby girl last night 3.2 kg, name: Pema. This is the third 1/2 Lisu 1/2 Western baby born unto my crew. Welcome to the world you little half-breed super races! The future is crossbreeding, in the next 1000 years it will be impossible to distinguish between am Asian and Caucasian, a Hispanic and a Black person because the gap is getting smaller and smaller. The breeding between westerners and Lisu is quite amazing, we are not the only three in the town of Pai to have 1/2 breed kids, there are others mostly Thai, a few Lisu families that extend up to the Soppong (AKA Pang Mapha) area, between Pai and Mae Hong Son.

What will the future of these children be? Stay tuned, it will be interesting no doubt. One topic that keeps coming up is education, the school choices around here are strictly village, and marshal. There are a few international schools in the Chiang Mai area, but isn’t the point of having kids so that you can grow up together, and have a part in raising them? It is important for this next generation to hold onto their heritage: ie. music, song, dance, traditional clothes, nature wisdom, etc. The old ways are sinking fast, nowadays most Lisu are pressured to keep up with the ‘modern world’ and one of the only options aside from agriculture is prostitution and drug dealing. I have confidence that this will change, maybe it is our part to help accelerate this change, maybe that’s why we’re here married to these Lisu women: to exchange knowledge, create a super race, and help to bridge the ever shrinking gap between East and West.

In a world full of commercial music and ‘one-hit-wonders’, Electronica\groove\Atmospheric Funk band 4hero never fails to ‘keep it Real’ year after year with each smash hit album they produce. Always staying fresh and profound, collaborating with great vocalists such as Ursula Rucker, Jody Watley, Carina Andersson, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

The beats and lyrics are ‘more than’ current, in fact most of what 4hero produces is way ahead of it’s time, if anything these little musical odysseys are prophesies related to current world events and what’s to come. “Spine Tingling” lyrics and “hair raising” rhythms no doubt, please listen closely, and meditate deeply on the works of this profound artist.  ‘Play with the Changes’ is their 2007 release, get it!

Show me what ya Got Lil Mama…

If you haven’t heard the Jay-Z album “Kingdom Come” than you don’t know what you’re missing. Get it, and play the track “Show me what ya got” its living proof that hip hop is NOT dead.

Sit in full lotus, half lotus, siddhasana, or any other comfortable seated position. Put you’re head phonez on and let the beats flow, sit completely still and allow the soundz to bump in you’re head. Dance to the music in you’re mind, this is the meaning of traveling without moving. I used to define myself as a dancer, I guess in some ways I still do, however I dance much less in the physical world. I don’t really have the chance to dance these days, the culture here in Northern Thailand just doesn’t support any kind of underground dance culture, just a bunch of rice farmers, tourists, travelers, and soul searchers.

Physical movement is overrated, polish up the mind, go ahead and try it. It’s almost more difficult at first than physically dancing, but stay with it; it’s a great mental exercise. The next time you have the chance to get onto the dance floor watch and see how much you’re moves improve. This is called ‘cultivating the astral body’. Its finally starting to sink in that our astral body (or spirit) is the only thing that we’re taking with us when we go, we might as well get used to it now. Design yourself ahead of time, see yourself exactly how you want other’s to see you, how you want God (the Divine) to see you…and let the beats flow on… God is Love, God is Sound.