Moving the Crowd — Live Mixtape

The Art
of the
Crossfade

Who gets to tell America’s story?

See the Tour What is Crossfade?

The Project

A multi-city tour of concerts, workshops, and community dialogues that uses the DJ crossfader as both method and metaphor — to confront polarization and reimagine democratic belonging at America’s 250th.

Crossfade is a project led by cultural historian Josh Kun and hip-hop DJ / producer J.PERIOD. Each stop blends a Live Mixtape performance featuring national and local performers, storytelling workshops, and oral histories — a way of bridging divides without erasing distinct voices.

The series seeks to energize audiences across the country by connecting their own music to the civic imagination — turning the crossfader’s blend of two records into a model for how a country might hold more than one story at once.

Anatomy of a Stop

Three Movements,
One Room

Every city gets the same architecture and a different cast — the local voices are the variable, the form is the constant.

01

Musical Lecture

Cultural historian Josh Kun frames the night — tracing how the records on the table carry the arguments, migrations, and memories that built American sound.

► Listen & Watch
02

Storytelling Workshops

Hands-on sessions where audiences and artists build the narrative together — surfacing the songs, scenes, and memories that make up a place’s sense of itself.

03

The Live Mixtape

A J.PERIOD performance that splices national headliners with local performers in real time — the crossfade made audible, one record bleeding into the next without silencing either.

► Watch the Films

The Tour

Where We’re Headed

A multi-city run building toward America’s 250th. Cities and dates are rolling out — join the list to hear them first.

Jul 10–11Stop 01
Los Angeles
Venue: Grand Performances
Musical Lecture · Storytelling Workshop · Live Mixtape Crossfade
See the Jul 11 lineup →
RSVP · Jul 10 RSVP · Jul 11
AnnouncingStop 02
Phoenix
Venue: TBA
Musical Lecture · Storytelling Workshop · Live Mixtape Crossfade
Dates TBA
AnnouncingStop 03
Nebraska
Venue: TBA
Musical Lecture · Storytelling Workshop · Live Mixtape Crossfade
Dates TBA
AnnouncingStop 04
New Orleans
Venue: TBA
Musical Lecture · Storytelling Workshop · Live Mixtape Crossfade
Dates TBA

Los Angeles dates confirmed — Phoenix, Nebraska, and New Orleans dates rolling out. Join the list to hear them first.

Los Angeles · July 11

Josh Kun & J.PERIOD with Grand Performances present

The Live Mixtape:Crossfade Edition

Live at Grand Performances

Grand Performances July 11, 2026 FREE Admission
The Live Mixtape: Crossfade Edition — official event flyer. Josh Kun + J.PERIOD present, July 11 at Grand Performances, Los Angeles. Free admission.
Official Flyer · July 11 · Grand Performances, LA
► Watch the Show See the Lineup Event Page
A high-energy Hip Hop “mixtape” performed and recorded LIVE onstage—in one take.

This isn’t a concert.
It’s a live remix of Los Angeles itself.

Featuring an all-star lineup of artists, musicians, DJs, and community voices representing the past, present, and future sounds of democracy.

Following standout performances at Roots Picnic and the Hollywood Bowl, DJ/Producer J.PERIOD joins USC MacArthur Fellow Josh Kun to bring The Live Mixtape: Crossfade Edition to Grand Performances for one unforgettable night celebrating the sounds, stories, and cultures that shape America.

Featuring

The Lineup

D Smoke

D Smoke

Rapper

@dsmoke7
Mumu Fresh

Mumu Fresh

Singer · MC

@mumufresh
Fatlip of The Pharcyde

Fatlip

The Pharcyde

@ilovefatlip
The Pocket Queen

The Pocket Queen

Drummer

@thepocketqueen
Ben Williams

Ben Williams

Bassist

@benwmsonbass
Deyra Barrera

Deyra Barrera

Vocalist

@deyrabarreratv
Kemo The Blaxican

Kemo The Blaxican

MC

@kemotheblaxican
The Neighborhood Orchestra

The Neighborhood Orchestra

Ensemble

@theneighborhoodorchestra
Daniel Crawford

Daniel Crawford

Keys · Producer

@dshon82
Faunoos

Faunoos

Artist

@faunoos

Plus DJ sets from

DJ Spider

DJ Spider

DJ Set

@djspider
DJ Mal-Ski

DJ Mal-Ski

DJ Set

@djmalski

The Voices Behind It

Curator & Conductor

Josh Kun
Cultural Historian

Josh Kun

A cultural historian, author, and curator whose work explores the intersection of music, politics, and cultural connection. Professor at USC Annenberg and the Norman Lear Center.

JoshKun.com @joshdkun
J.PERIOD
DJ & Producer

J.PERIOD

A DJ and producer known for innovative musical storytelling and high-profile collaborations across genres and culture — the architect of the Live Mixtape form at the heart of Crossfade.

jperiod.com @jperiodbk

“A way of bridging divides without erasing distinct voices.”

The Art of the Crossfade

In Partnership With

The Coalition

Presented By
USC Annenberg
Host Institution
The Norman Lear Center
Foundation
The Hearthland Foundation
Music Partner
Newport Festivals Foundation
Incubator
Salt Lick
Advocacy
Black Music Action Coalition

Stay in the Loop

Be in the Room

Cities, dates, and the first Live Mixtape are being announced soon. Get them before anyone else.

Contact
contact@artofthecrossfade.com
Booking & Press
booking@artofthecrossfade.com
Follow
@jperiodbk  ·  @joshdkun