<\/a>
\nHailed as one of \u201cThe world\u02bcs top DJs\u201d (NY Times) and recruited for remix & production work by Grammy winners Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, John Legend & The Roots, J.Period is one of the music industry\u02bcs most respected DJ\/Remixer\/Producers and one of its most innovative viral brand-builders. <\/strong><\/p>\n

J.Peiod\u02bcs skills have earned praise from Hip Hop\u02bcs elite, plus widespread critical acclaim from fans and writers around the globe. His viral mixtape campaigns for artists from Q-Tip to K\u02bcNAAN to Spike Lee have earned millions of downloads\u2014and his projects live an eternal life across social media, spreading years after their initial release. J.Period\u02bcs DJ skills have earned bookings around the world as the Official Tour DJ for Lauryn Hill, Black Thought, Q-Tip, Def Poetry Jam, and as a solo artist. Equal parts tastemaker, sound selector and viral marketing mastermind, J.Period is redefining the role of the DJ\/Producer in the digital age and doing it on his own terms: authentic, and true to his Hip Hop roots.<\/p>\n

What are your earliest memories of music?<\/strong>
\nMy father played guitar and was a songwriter and I remember he would make up songs all the time when I was a kid\u2014in every situation\u2014about whatever was going on. Those are probably my earliest memories of music. <\/p>\n

What first got you into DJing?<\/strong>
\nI was a hip hop fiend growing up and a natural born crate digger, so I always had the best collection of music\u2014even when it was cassettes or CDs. I also had one of those old Fisher Price record players and I would cut and scratch and destroy my \u201cbook & record\u201d sets on 45. Then I made pause tapes for my friends in high school. It wasn\u2019t until college that I started really \u201cDJing\u201d. Before that I just had the best music, and people knew it. I was more of a \u201cselector.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who were your musical influences coming up?<\/strong>
\nMy father was a folk singer, so from him I got Paul Simon, Crosby, Still & Nash, Joan Baez. My mother loved rock & roll, so it was Rolling Stones, Beatles, Little Richard, etc. I discovered hip hop at age 6 and was a fiend from then on. My favorites were Nas, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS, Biggie, but I love all kinds of hip hop\u2014still do.<\/p>\n

What was your first big break as a DJ?<\/strong>
\nMy first big \u201cbreak\u201d was interviewing Nas at a Sony listening event, and during that interview I came up with this idea of combining the interview with the music to create something new\u2014the \u201caudio-documentary\u201d style my projects are known for. But truth be told, I\u2019ve had a lot of crazy, aligning-of-the-stars \u201cbreaks\u201d thus far in my career!<\/p>\n

You are originally from LA but moved to New York why did you make the change?<\/strong>
\nI always loved New York hip hop, even growing up in L.A., so I was fascinated with the lifestyle and portrayal of New York in the music. I wanted to see what that was all about… then once I got here I just got hooked. I love the challenge and hustle of New York. I still have love for Cali though\u2014that\u2019s my home.<\/p>\n

How hard was it making a name for yourself once you settled in New York?<\/strong>
\n\u201cMaking a name\u201d was never really a goal for me in that way. Hip hop was my passion and I wasn\u2019t trying to prove myself to anyone other than myself; I wanted to make the hottest tapes because I wanted to listen to the hottest tapes! In some ways, that made me fearless, which is essential for success in New York. I would talk to anyone, approach anyone, and New York allows you to move in a lot of circles, so you are in the room with a lot of important people. You just have to have the nerve to go talk to them. And your CD better be HOT. I always tell aspiring artists: don\u2019t focus on \u201cmaking a name\u201d; focus on making your music hot. The rest happens on its own. <\/p>\n