Album Review: DJ Vadim – U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun (2009)

Album Review: DJ Vadim – U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun (2009)
Rating: 4 out of 5 Potholes

The father of Russian hip-hop, DJ Vadim, has come through with another terrific album, 2009’s U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun. He takes an extremely eclectic and experimental approach to this album. Vadim recruited a mix of rappers and singers, who each give noteworthy performances (not all in English either). Furthermore, it appears that Vadim is interested in playing with different genres as well.

Two tracks, including the opener “Soldier” incorporate heavy ska/reggae influences. Other tracks involve a dubbed, electronic feel, blending techno, glitch, and hip-hop, which gives a few of the tracks a very dancehall feel (see: “Rock Dem Hot”). Finally, there is just a ridiculous amount of various experimental sounds (and crazy vocal effects), chopped samples, and turntable scratches that Vadim works with, but he does so methodically, looping different cuts that pop up in various places. In the end it all makes sense. Vadim also has the album arranged nicely with good transition from track to track throwing in the occasional instrumental track.

Topically (note: I could not decipher the lyrical content behind all the non-English tracks, although they do still flow very well) the rappers and singers tend to dish out slice of life anecdotes, more than one of which involve various encounters between men and women meeting up, doing what they do, and then falling into various other problems.

Ultimately, U Can’t Lurn Imaginashun proves to be remarkably, um… (for lack of a better term) imaginative! It will surely stand as a great addition to Vadim’s deep collection.