DJ Yella Of N.W.A: Reporting Live In The 541

Antione “DJ Yella” Carraby is not only one of the original riders of the west-coast hip-hop and gangsta rap wave, he is also a published author, key innovator and pioneer of the record-scratching technique. Oh, and what caught all y’alls’ eyes: He’s also founding member of the breakthrough rap sextet from Compton, California, the one and only N.W.A. So mark your calendars for a hip-hop-history kick-off into Black History Month, with DJ Yella himself at Silver Moon Brewing Feb. 4.

I recently had the privilege of chatting with Yella about his life — life before and after the release of the 2015 documentary film, “Straight Outta Compton ,” in addition to his journey before and after the release of his autobiography, “Straight Outta Compton: My Untold Story ” — which spans from the time he was five years old all the way to pre-pandemic. And within the ebbs and flows of his former group members — legends like Dr. Dre, MC Ren, Arabian Prince, Eazy-E, and Ice Cube, Yella continues to preach the evolutionary success of N.W.A to this day.

“Before World Class Wreckin’ Cru and N.W.A, I was a DJ in the club,” DJ Yella told me. “Then once Dre came along, we were both DJs at the club, and once we started producing music, that was it for DJing — we didn’t DJ again.” In fact, the only time the two of them went onstage together again was at Coachella in 2016, where the first and last N.W.A “reunion” took place in front of a live audience.

Now Yella travels all over the world. “If you get an old globe, spin it and put your finger on it. I’ve just about been there. Even within the last three years,” he said, traveling to Ireland, Austria, Korea, Sri Lanka and Dubai, just to name a few. In March, he’s headed back for a European tour. Here’s an excerpt from our chat ahead of his appearances in Bend.