Only the good die young. J Dilla — the Detroit producer who was a founding member of the Soulquarians collective (along with Questlove, D'Angelo and James Poyser) and is heralded as one of the most influential producers in hip-hop — passed away five years ago this month. But House Shoes, Dilla's DJ, is letting neither his memory nor his music go gentle into that good night. Along with friends like Mayer Hawthorne, Dilated Peoples DJ Babu and Boombox's Inka One, he's celebrating the man whose deeply soulful signature sound turned albums like the Pharcyde's Labcabincalifornia and Common's Like Water for Chocolate into shimmering, near-transcendent experiences. Get there early:

Raise It Up: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of James “J Dilla” Yancey is sure to spill into the street.

WHAT: Raise It Up: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of James “J Dilla” Yancey

WHEN: Feb. 7, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

WHERE: Little Temple, 4519 Santa Monica Blvd., Hlywd.; $5 before 10:30, $10 after. (323) 660-4540.

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