VINYL FORMAT. DJ Vadim, aka the John Coltrane of hip hop, ain't exactly your average "round-the-way" producer. Needless to say, though producer/DJ's these days are a dime-a-dozen, a veteran like Vadim is not the kind o' cat to release 12 tracks of the latest in-vogue soul loop. In fact his new album, U Can't Lurn Imaginashun is one of the sickest joints on the block, continuing - and embellishing - the producer's inventive journey into the realm of sound. Anyone that knows anything about Vadim knows to expect the unexpected, and UCLI has surprises - and dopeness - in abundance.

On U Can't Lurn Imaginashun Vadim hits every note and every color, not just the black and white ones. Like all Vadim projects, the songs here are fresh, funky and fun. There are reggae rubs that could sit next to Desmond Decker; neo-soul and conscious-rap jams that recall Q Tip or Jill Scott; experimental gems akin to the work of Flying Lotus or J Dilla. Mostly though, it's the sound of music being embraced and loved, and of a re-inspired life being lived.