RIAA Gold Award for 'Michel'Le' – Presented to DJ Yella

Gold Sales Award presented to DJ Yella commemorating over 500,000 copies sold of Michel'Le’s self-titled debut on Ruthless Records.

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Item was authenticated from the source; with an unbroken, attested chain of custody.

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Description

Presented to Antoine "DJ Yella" Carraby, this official RIAA Gold award marks the sale of over 500,000 units of Michel'Le, the 1989 debut album released on Ruthless Records. At a time when the West Coast hip hop scene was gaining national attention through acts like N.W.A., Michel'Le signaled the label’s move into R&B while maintaining its signature production sound. The album was executive-produced by Eazy-E and co-produced by DJ Yella and Dr. Dre, who together shaped its mix of melodic ballads and hard-edged beats.

Michel'Le’s high-pitched, unmistakable voice stood in contrast to the male-dominated roster of Ruthless and added dimension to the label’s cultural impact. The album includes the platinum-selling single “No More Lies,” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a defining track of the New Jack Swing era. Behind the scenes, DJ Yella’s production fingerprints were all over the record, linking it back to the same sound that powered Straight Outta Compton and other foundational West Coast releases.

The plaque includes gold-colored representations of the vinyl, CD, and cassette formats, an image of Michel'Le, and an RIAA certification plate personalized to DJ Yella. His signature appears on the outer glass of the framed award.


Dimensions: 17" x 21"

All dimensions are approximate.


Disclaimer:

This item features a Silver OVD, verifying its authenticity through the DJ Yella Estate. A TRuEST™ authenticator was not on-site to witness its awarding or it being signed, which is why this item does not carry our gold-level witness-based authentication OVD.

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Last Sale Price
$385
RIAA Gold Award for 'Michel'Le' – Presented to DJ Yella