Throughout the course of time, socially conscious hip-hop has faced a paradox. Lyrically, the emcee's subject matter will focus on the problems of society, but until these problems manifest themselves and shift, rappers will focus on these same problems again and again. With corporate control increasing, freedom being sacrificed for security, and greed perpetuating, the future looks fairly bleak for all of us. What is required for a 'socially conscious' emcee to survive today without emulating those of the past is an original, more versatile approach to the topics they touch upon. And while Sékou the Ambassador may not be a prophet to this style, he does manage to stand out amongst an unfortunately bland bunch.

Sékou is an American cat, currently residing across the Atlantic and doing his thing over in Germany. He has an obvious love for his roots, and also for his fellow soldiers in this war called life. With an album title like "D.I.A.S.P.O.R.A.", which is defined as the dispersion of people from their original homeland, you can already get a clear picture of his goal: the unification of all people, in spite of the past. Sonically, he chooses a variety of expressions for this - club- worthy tracks, straight head nodders, and downright smooth beats. However, concepts can only carry you so far, as their execution is the most important piece of the puzzle.

The album's music begins with "Coup d'Etat", where some nice, bouncy sounds are used on the beat. Unfortunately, Sékou's voice and flow do not mesh very well with the backdrop. And while it may have seemed like radicalism for the sake of freedom at the time, he's probably regretting that Osama bin Laden shout-out nowadays. The inability of Sékou's vocals to mesh with certain beats plagues this album in some other spots, for example the next track "Ambaciata". This track, while riding a pretty nice beat, fails to really express anything. It comes off as a messy collage of thoughts that doesn't work very well for me. Don't let my initial negativity turn you away though, because there are definitely some gems on here as well.

A few tracks on this album do suffer from Sékou not finidng his niche over the beats, and as a result he ends up coming off as bland. Fortunately, this is not always the case. On "Homeland", Sékou nails his style perfectly on top of a thick and mellow beat that is full of positivity. A reflection is taken at African history and the many obstacles it has faced over the years. Tracks like this really make me think about how raped that continent has become thanks to colonialism, Western ideals, and tribal warfare. Sékou knows how to make the situation a little less depressing, as his reflection has hints of positivity that produce an image of a better future in my mind.

While the bouncy cuts do not come off near as strong as the more laid-back ones, they do provide a nice variety of sounds; something lacking within some similar artists. Sékou attempts a wide range of catchy choruses and 'commercial' beats, possibly pushing his message to different types of people. This style can be executed very well, as is the case on "A Lifelong Thing". Some ill Far-Eastern sounds and African drums are used on the beat, one sure to make anyone's head nod. The rhymes, while still fresh, leave a little room for growth since they would sound much better with a more commanding delivery. However that is merely constructive criticism, as this is one of the best cuts found on "D.I.A.S.P.O.R.A." It's too bad that this type of sound does not always work on here, as songs like "Silver And Gold" and the title cut "D.I.A.S.P.O.R.A." lack a lot of substance. The beats could stand alone or something; all I know is that Sékou does not sound very good over top of them.

The true artist within seems to be best expressed over the more mellow beats on this album, as the vocals are given more room to grow with them. "The Reason I Write" is Sékou at his finest, as he flows on and on about his inspirations for writing. His thoughts are definitely worth your time, with such lines as "They say the world's globalized, but who's included and why, and since colonial days the same rules have applied / moved from slave trade to dictators, stuck to the scheme, it's logic that there's profit in these puppet regimes." The same mellow vide is used for "Civil Rights", where Sékou again reflects on history and puts a positive spin on the future. Despite all the wrong in the world, you're constantly reminded by this track that "It's still all good". The mellow cuts do come off best, but without the bouncy songs on this album as well, the laid-back vibe could become repetitive. This is where Sékou's versatility shines through.

The album's most catchy beat is arguably found on "Ex P's", with a jumpy loop riding some heavy bass kicks and some light snares. A head-nod factor of about 9 is achieved here, and to top it off the fourth rapper on this song has an unbelievable flow. Once hailing from America, Sékou's ex-Patriot crew are now dispersed in different areas but united on this track - the essence behind D.I.A.S.P.O.R.A. "Trodin' On Pt. II" features Sékou attempting a spoken-word style for his delivery, which he is unfortunately not very commanding at. Despite this, he does rap with an honesty and consciousness that few have the ability (or courage?) to do. Even if you do not agree with his viewpoints, you can't help but respect how much of who he is being manifested through what he has to say. A dope roots-reggae / African influenced beat is used on here, and while it won't flip wigs it does allow Sékou to get fairly deep.

The hidden cut has positive vibes radiating from every angle, and it reminds me of something Mos Def would do. However, the mighty Mos has the singing down a bit better than Sékou. While I would definitely not call it biting, these two emcees are on the same page a lot of the time.

One of the most unfortunate aspects of socially conscious hip-hop is the fact that it always comes off sounding so similar. This style was seemingly perfected by Public Enemy, but no one can seem to get on that level any more. There are the heads who spend all their time making observations and nothing more, giving the impression that they are just bitchy cats who are watching the world go by. There are also the extremists who think that the answer lies in destroying all power, but without a bigger plan they can become part of the problem. Sékou does not really fall in to either of these categories, as his style of consciousness exists on paths less traveled. Picture Common minus the pretentiousness. And although I have not heard anything other from him aside from this album, I'd always be willing to check other material that he has or will put out.