by Cyril Cordor
A hip-hop traditionalist at heart, award-winning mixtape DJ J. Period has garnered praise from several outlets, including MTV, Vibe, and Billboard, for his acclaimed Best Of mixtape series. Having completed mixtapes covering Nas, Big Daddy Kane, and the Isley Brothers, among others, Period usually enlists the direct participation of the artist, compiling their classic songs, unreleased material, self-produced remixes, and excerpts from interviews or other live recordings. His keen sense of meter and dense knowledge of hip-hop allow him to meticulously craft each of his mixtapes more into creative, cohesive albums than the standard assortment of varied songs. Born in Los Angeles, he started out gigging at house parties during his college years in the Bay Area without really knowing how to work the turntables at first. By the time he moved to New York in 1998, he was an adept turntablist and, there, he was given his first set of 1200s by friend and supporter DJ Skribble. He was soon DJing at bars and clubs, and also joined Bay Area rap group Zion I on an international tour.Period first decided to do a Best Of mixtape while attending a listening party for Nas' 2002 album God's Son. He recorded some of Nas' words at the party and later mixed together his favorite Nas tracks and freestyles, gaining the approval of the rap star himself, who hosted the mixtape. The Best of Nas helped earn him many accolades, including Mixtape DJ Rookie of the Year in 2003 by Elemental Magazine. He approached his following mixtapes with the same method, and thus, it was considered a monumental feat to involve Lauryn Hill, who had virtually disappeared from popular culture, for the double-volume disc The Best of Lauryn Hill. That project threw him into the spotlight in a way Period never expected. Upon winning more awards from the Lauryn Hill mix, he was obtaining high-profile gigs for A-list private parties and bigger tours, not to mention that he was now being commissioned by labels to compose these special mixtapes to help promote upcoming albums. Capping off the year 2006 with mixes for the Roots and C.L. Smooth, he won the prestigious Mixtape DJ of the Year award at the Power Summit held in the Dominican Republic.