A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and method is provided. The MRI system comprises a plurality of transmit coils arranged spatially distinct from each other and configured for inducing a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) excitation. The NMR excitation is selective both in spatial dimensions and in a chemical shift spectrum. The plurality of transmit coils are driven by a plurality of radio frequency (RF) pulses, and a gradient module is driven by a plurality of gradient pulses.