Antoine Carraby
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Antoine Carraby (born December 11, 1961), better known by his stage name DJ Yella, is an American DJ, record producer, and film director from
Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...
. DJ Yella began his career as a member of the
World Class Wreckin' Cru World Class Wreckin' Cru was an American electro group, during the 1980s in the Los Angeles area, that contributed to rap's development. Two of its members, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, attained greater fame as members of N.W.A, which pioneered gangst ...
along with
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
. He later joined the pioneering gangsta rap group
N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
(originally composed of
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
,
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
,
Arabian Prince Kim Renard Nazel (born June 17, 1965), better known by his stage names Arabian Prince or Professor X, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a founding member of N.W.A and contributed to a few tracks from '' N.W.A. and the Posse'' (19 ...
and
Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...
) and became the least vocal but longest-lasting member of the group. His first and only studio album '' One Mo Nigga ta Go'' was released in 1996 through Street Life Records and was dedicated to
Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...
. After the release of the album he left the music industry to direct 
pornographic films Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, adult films, blue films, sexually explicit films, or 18+ films, are films that represent Human sexual activity, sexually WIKT:explicit, explicit subject matter in order to sexual arousal, arouse, fasci ...
 until 2011, when he started working on a new album called ''West Coastin''.


Early life

Antoine Carraby was born in
Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...
, on December 11, 1961, and raised in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. The second youngest of nine children, Carraby grew up poor and considered himself something of a loner. His parents divorced when he was four years old, and he lived primarily with his mother. He was passionate about music from a young age. He grew up listening to
funk music Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mi ...
and learned to play the drums. As a teenager, he performed at various clubs of Los Angeles by the name of Yella which was inspired by
Tom Tom Club Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include the UK top 10 hit " Wordy Rappinghood" and the US top 40 hi ...
's Mr. Yellow. After watching Run-D.M.C. perform in California for the first time, him and Dre both were amazed to see them on-stage with nothing more than a DJ scratching. They attempted to make a few records themselves in the nightclub Eve After Dark, owned by 
Alonzo Williams Alonzo Fitzgerald Williams (born August 9, 1963), also known as "Lonnie", is an American former professional football running back. He was selected in the 12th round and played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1987. He played college football at C ...
.


Career

Yella began DJ'ing as a teenager in a local club called Eve After Dark. At the club he met aspiring DJ Dr. J, later to become member
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
of
N.W.A. N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
Eve After Dark had a back room with a small four-track studio. In this studio, Yella and Dre recorded several demos. In their first recording session, they recorded a song entitled "Surgery". Influenced by
Grandmaster Flash Joseph Robert Saddler (born January 1, 1958), known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is a Barbadian-American musician and DJ. He created a DJ technique called the Quick Mix Theory. This technique serviced the break-dancer and the rapper by el ...
, Yella and Dre formed the
World Class Wreckin' Cru World Class Wreckin' Cru was an American electro group, during the 1980s in the Los Angeles area, that contributed to rap's development. Two of its members, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, attained greater fame as members of N.W.A, which pioneered gangst ...
in the early '80s, which released its debut album under the Kru-Cut label in 1985. The group would become stars of the electro-hop scene that dominated early-mid 1980s
West Coast hip hop West Coast hip-hop is a regional genre of Hip-hop, hip-hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip-hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during th ...
. "Surgery", recorded and released prior to the group's official formation, was their first hit, selling 50,000 copies in Compton alone. DJ Yella and Dr. Dre also performed mixes for local radio station
KDAY KDAY (93.5 FM, "93.5 KDAY") is a radio station that is licensed to Redondo Beach, California and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Media and airs a classic hip hop format. The station's studios are locate ...
, boosting ratings for its afternoon rush-hour show The Traffic Jam. Along with Dre, Yella helped produce Eazy-E's debut album ''
Eazy-Duz-It ''Eazy-Duz-It'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 22, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite ve ...
'' and the two N.W.A albums, along with the
100 Miles and Runnin' ''100 Miles and Runnin'' is the only extended play by American hip-hop group N.W.A. Released on August 14, 1990, this EP of five tracks reflects an evolution of N.W.A's sound and centers on the single " 100 Miles and Runnin'.Jason Birchmeier"N. ...
EP. Along with
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
and
Arabian Prince Kim Renard Nazel (born June 17, 1965), better known by his stage names Arabian Prince or Professor X, is an American rapper and record producer. He was a founding member of N.W.A and contributed to a few tracks from '' N.W.A. and the Posse'' (19 ...
, Yella co-produced
J.J. Fad J.J. Fad is an American female rap group from Rialto, California. The name was an acronym of the original group members' given names (Juana, Juanita, Fatima, Anna, and Dania), but when the line-up changed the tradition developed that it stood ...
's gold certified debut (''
Super Sonic is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphism ...
'') and also
Michel'le Michel'le Denise Toussant ( ; born December 5, 1967), also spelled Toussaint, is an American R&B singer known for her songs from 1989 to the early 1990s. Her highest charting song is the top ten US Hot 100 hit "No More Lies". Between 2013 and ...
's (
self-titled An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
) album and contributed to
The D.O.C. Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Along with his solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and later co-wr ...
's 1989 album ''
No One Can Do It Better ''No One Can Do It Better'' is the first solo album by the D.O.C., released on July 13, 1989, by Ruthless Records and Atlantic Records. It reached no.1 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the ''Bil ...
'' (also produced by Dre).
Jerry Heller Gerald Elliot Heller (October 6, 1940 – September 2, 2016) was an American music manager and businessman. He was best known for his management of West Coast rap and gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A and Eazy-E. He rose to prominence in the 1960s ...
, in his 2006 memoir ''Ruthless'', witnessed Dre and Yella's work together, writing that the two had an "almost eerie understanding", as they crafted high quality beats and productions with almost no words or full sentences needing to be spoken. Yella remained close to Eazy and stayed on production duties at
Ruthless Records Ruthless Records was an American independent record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California on March 3, 1987. All of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1987. Several ...
after the acrimonious breakup of N.W.A. He produced J.J. Fad's second album ''
Not Just a Fad ''Not Just a Fad'' is the second studio album by the American female rap group J.J. Fad. It was released in 1990 via Ruthless Records. The album spawned three singles: "We in the House", "Gold", and "Be Good ta Me". Neither the album nor the sing ...
'' (1990), Yomo & Maulkie's album '' Are U Xperienced?'' (1991), two tracks from Eazy-E's '' It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa'' (1993), the gold-selling hit single "
Foe tha Love of $ "Foe tha Love of $" is the second single by American hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, featuring rapper Eazy-E, from their debut EP, '' Creepin on ah Come Up''. The song was produced by DJ Yella and executive produced by Eazy-E. "Foe tha Love of ...
" from
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also referred to as simply Bone Thugs or Bone) is an American hip hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie ...
's ''
Creepin on ah Come Up ''Creepin on ah Come Up'' is the debut EP by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album was released on June 21, 1994, on Ruthless Records. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. History Bone Thu ...
'' EP, Menajahtwa's album ''
Cha-licious ''Cha-licious'' is the debut studio album by female rap duo Menajahtwa. It was released on August 23, 1994 via Ruthless Records and Relativity Records. Recording sessions took place at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California, except for one so ...
'', and tracks from H.W.A.'s '' Az Much Ass Azz U Want'' E.P. (all three from 1994). He also helped produce Eazy's final album ''
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton ''Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton'' is the second and final studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released posthumously by Ruthless Records and Relativity Records on January 30, 1996, ten months after Eazy-E's death in March ...
'', released about a year after his sudden death in 1995 from
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
-related complications. Yella released his 1996 debut solo album '' One Mo Nigga ta Go'' on Street Life Records as a tribute to Eazy-E, featuring members of the Ruthless "family tree"
Kokane Jerry Buddy Long Jr. (born March 10, 1969), better known by his stage name Kokane, is an American rapper and singer best known for his distinctive vocal style and numerous guest appearances, such as on Snoop Dogg's ''Tha Last Meal''. Early life ...
,
B.G. Knocc Out Al Hasan Naqiyy (born Arlandis Tremel Hinton; born January 23, 1975), known professionally as B.G. Knocc Out, is an American West Coast rapper. Raised in Compton and Watts, California, he became involved in gang life before entering the rap scene ...
, and
Dresta Andre DeSean Wicker (born April 18, 1970), better known by his stage name Gangsta Dresta, is an American rapper. He is best known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is the older brother of rapper B.G ...
, rhyming over his productions. The album peaked at number 82 on the
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...
albums chart and at number 23 on the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
chart in the US. After this record he retired from music to embark on a 12-year career directing and producing pornographic films. Yella says he produced more than 300 adult films. Yella was played by Neil Brown Jr. in the 2015 N.W.A biopic, ''
Straight Outta Compton ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority Records, Priority and Ruthless Records. It was Record producer, produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, a ...
''. He is portrayed as very promiscuous, and also as less aggressive than the other members and unwilling to engage in conflict with Ice Cube. In April 2016, Yella reunited with the former members of N.W.A at
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
.


Awards and honors

In 2016, Yella was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of N.W.A. In 2024, Yella and the other members of N.W.A. received a
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
. He showed up to accept the award along with
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
,
MC Ren Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), known professionally by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the independent record label Villain ...
,
The D.O.C Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Along with his solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and later co-wr ...
and
Lil Eazy E Eric Darnell Wright (born April 23, 1984), known professionally as Lil Eazy-E, is an American rapper. He is best known for being the son of Eazy-E. He is the president of Rich & Ruthless Records, an entertainment and business firm for musicians ...
.


Discography


Studio albums


Collaboration albums

with World Class Wreckin' Cru * ''
World Class ''World Class'' is the first studio album by American Los Angeles-based electro-hop group World Class Wreckin' Cru. It was released in 1985 under the Kru-Cut record label. Songs on the album included "Juice" and "Surgery", which were popular si ...
'' (1985) * ''
Rapped in Romance ''Rapped in Romance'' is the second and final studio album by American Los Angeles–based electro-hop group the World Class Wreckin' Cru. It was released in 1986 on Epic. Cli-N-Tel left the group during the fall of 1985 which led to Lonzo recru ...
'' (1986) with N.W.A. * ''
Straight Outta Compton ''Straight Outta Compton'' is the debut studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on January 25, 1989, through Priority Records, Priority and Ruthless Records. It was Record producer, produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, a ...
'' (1989) * ''
100 Miles and Runnin' ''100 Miles and Runnin'' is the only extended play by American hip-hop group N.W.A. Released on August 14, 1990, this EP of five tracks reflects an evolution of N.W.A's sound and centers on the single " 100 Miles and Runnin'.Jason Birchmeier"N. ...
'' (1990) * ''
Niggaz4Life ''Niggaz4Life'' (also known as ''Efil4zaggin'' per its mirrored title as seen on the cover) is the second and final studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on May 28, 1991. It was their final album, as the group disbanded later t ...
'' (1991)


Selected works


Filmography


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yella, Dj 1961 births Living people 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century American rappers 21st-century American rappers African-American DJs African-American male rappers African-American record producers American hip-hop DJs American hip-hop record producers Musicians from Compton, California N.W.A members Rappers from Los Angeles Record producers from California Ruthless Records artists American pornographers