DJ Yella

Antoine Carraby (born December 11, 1961 ), better known by his stage name DJ Yella, is an American DJ, record producer, and former pornographic film producer and director from Compton, California.

DJ Yella began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru along with Dr. Dre. He later joined the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A (originally composed of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Arabian Prince and Eazy-E) 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. After the release of the album he left the music industry to direct pornographic films until 2011, when he started working on a new album called West Coastin. However, as of 2026, the album remains unreleased.

Early life Antoine Carraby was born in Compton, California, on December 11, 1961, and raised in 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 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'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.

Along with Dre, Yella helped produce Eazy-E's debut album Eazy-Duz-It and the two N.W.A albums, along with the 100 Miles and Runnin' EP. Along with Dr. Dre and Arabian Prince, Yella co-produced J.J. Fad's gold certified debut (Super Sonic) and also Michel'le's (self-titled) album and contributed to The D.O.C.'s 1989 album No One Can Do It Better (also produced by Dre). Jerry Heller, 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 after the acrimonious breakup of N.W.A. He produced J.J. Fad's second album Not Just a Fad (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 $" from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Creepin on ah Come Up EP, Menajahtwa's album Cha-licious, 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, released about a year after his sudden death in 1995 from AIDS-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, B.G. Knocc Out, Dirty Red, and Dresta, rhyming over his productions. The album peaked at number 82 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and at number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 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. 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.

Awards and honors In 2016, Yella was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A. In 2024, Yella and the other members of N.W.A. received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He showed up to accept the award along with Ice Cube, MC Ren, The D.O.C and Lil Eazy E.

Discography Studio albums Album informationOne Mo Nigga ta Go Released: March 26, 1996 Chart positions: #82 US, #23 Top R&B/Hip Hop

Collaboration albums with World Class Wreckin' Cru World Class (1985) Rapped in Romance (1986)

with N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) 100 Miles and Runnin' (1990) Niggaz4Life (1991)

Selected works Year Artist Album Role Tracks 1984 Yella "Slice"/"Kru Groove" Performer Both songs 1985 World Class Wreckin' Cru World Class Vocals, drum programming Entire EP 1986 World Class Wreckin' Cru Rapped in Romance Vocals Entire album 1988 Eazy-E Eazy-Duz-It Producer Entire album 1988 J.J. Fad Supersonic Producer, mixing, backing vocals Entire album 1989 N.W.A Straight Outta Compton Producer Entire album 1989 The D.O.C. No One Can Do It Better Drums "Comm. Blues", "Comm. 2" and "The Grand Finalé" 1989 Michel'le Michel'le Mixing Entire album 1990 N.W.A 100 Miles and Runnin' Producer Entire EP 1990 J.J. Fad Not Just a Fad Producer Entire album 1991 N.W.A Niggaz4Life Producer, co-writer Entire album; co-wrote "Real Niggaz Don't Die", "Real Niggaz", "She Swallowed It", "I'd Rather Fuck You" and "Approach to Danger" 1991 Yomo & Maulkie Are U Xperienced? Producer Entire album 1993 Eazy-E It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa Producer, co-writer "Still a Nigga" and "Gimmie That Nutt" (co-wrote both songs) 1994 Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Creepin on ah Come Up Producer "Intro", "Foe tha Love of $ and "Moe Cheese" 1994 Menajahtwa Cha-licious Both producer and executive producer Entire album 1994 H.W.A. Az Much Ass Azz U Want Producer "High Timez" 1996 Eazy-E Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton Producer "First Power", "Ole School Shit", "Sippin on a 40", "Tha Muthaphukkin Real", "Lickin, Suckin, Phuckin", "Creep N Crawl", "Gangsta Beat 4 tha Street" and "Eternal E" 1996 Yella One Mo Nigga ta Go Both producer and executive producer Entire album

Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes 1993 Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video Himself Documentary 2017 The Defiant Ones Himself TV documentary

Biographical portrayals in film Year Title Portrayed by Notes 2015 Straight Outta Compton Neil Brown Jr. Biographical film about N.W.A 2016 Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le Deric Augustine Biographical film about Michel'le