Company type | Private |
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Industry | Entertainment |
Founded | March 5, 2020 |
Founders | |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
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Services |
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Owners |
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Website | pg-lang |
PGLang(stylized as pgLang, an acronym for Program Language) is an American independent multidisciplinary creative communications company headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded and owned by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, it specializes in music and visual media production. The company has won six Cannes Lions Awards, including the Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft in 2023.
American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American filmmaker Dave Free are creative partners who met while they were in high school. [1] They signed to independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in the early 2000s; Free later assumed the role as the label's co-president, while Lamar became a minority shareholder. [2] Through TDE, they formed the filmmaking duo the Little Homies and directed music videos. [3] On October 4, 2019, Rolling Stone reported that Free had departed TDE and was working independently with rapper Baby Keem. [4] Lamar later announced that he would also end his tenure with TDE through the release of his fifth studio album. [5]
Lamar and Free formally launched PGLang on March 5, 2020, which was described as a "multilingual, artist-friendly, at service company." [6] The company's mission statement reads:
PGLang is multilingual. Our community speaks music, film, television, art, books, and podcasts — because sometimes we have to use different languages to get the point of our stories across. Stories that speak to many nations, many races, and many ages. That is why our writers, singers, directors, musicians, and producers break formats when we build ideas and make them real for the curious. Putting round pegs through square holes is not a process, but we embrace the idea of anarchy and challenges that make us stronger. PGLang is focused on using our experiences, and nurturing our many collaborators, to build stories that are equally accessible and engaging then fitting them within the best media. [7]
In a separate press release, Free clarified that PGLang "is not a record label, a movie studio, or a publishing house. This is something new. In this overstimulated time, we are focused on cultivating raw expression from grassroots partnerships." [8] He considers PGLang to be a communications company, explaining: "we tell stories; we communicate between artists and establishments; we communicate that taste is interchangeable between fields." [9] Free stressed the importance of branding PGLang correctly to allow the company to be ambiguous, which gives him and Lamar "more room to grow and experiment. Creative companies haven’t really worked like this before because they usually have a specific story and aesthetic, but we are taking a different approach." [9]
On January 13, 2021, PGLang launched an advertising campaign for fashion house Calvin Klein, with a series of seven short films written and directed by Free. [10] The short films starred Baby Keem, Brent Faiyaz, and Travis Bennett, among others. [11] [12] Through his joint contract with Columbia Records, Baby Keem released his debut album, The Melodic Blue , on September 10, 2021. [13] [14] The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number five on the Billboard 200. [15] Its single, "Family Ties" with Lamar, won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. [16]
On January 13, 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that Lamar and Free were producing a comedy feature film through PGLang, in a partnership with South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, for Paramount Pictures. [17] The untitled film is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 4, 2025, in a nod to American Independence Day. [18] The company announced the signing of rapper Tanna Leone on March 9, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings. [19] He released his debut album, Sleepy Soldier, on April 27, 2022. [20] PGLang launched a footwear collaboration and advertising campaign for lifestyle brand Converse on May 2, 2022, which starred Leone and Selah Marley. [21]
Lamar released his fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers , on May 13, 2022. [22] [23] Receiving critical acclaim, the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 and was later awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. [24] [25] PGLang presented its accompanying tour, the Big Steppers Tour, through a partnership with Cash App and Amazon Music. [26] The tour premiered an advertising campaign co-starring Lamar and Ray Dalio for Cash App, which won a Webby Award for Top Scripted (Branded) Video, [27] and the short film adaptation of "We Cry Together", a song by Lamar and Taylour Paige. [28] A concert film documenting the tour, Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour , was released through Amazon Prime Video on November 23, 2022. [29] PGLang partnered with Spotify and non-governmental organization Surf Ghana to open Vibrate Space, a community recording studio and music business program in Accra. [30]
PGLang won six awards during the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, including the Film Craft Grand Prix for Direction and the Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft. [31] [32] In November 2023, the company released their second footwear collaboration with Converse and their first mobile phone collaboration with Light Phone. [33] [34] Dominic Fike and Baby Keem starred in the advertising campaign for Converse. [35] PGLang announced a five-year partnership with Global Citizen to establish and curate Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience, the first major touring circuit across the African continent. [36]
Act | Year signed | Releases under PGLang | Notes |
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Kendrick Lamar | Founder | 1 | Jointly with Interscope |
Baby Keem | 2020 | 1 | Jointly with Columbia |
Artists | Years on the label | Releases under the label |
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Tanna Leone | 2022–2023 | 1 |
Artist | Album | Details |
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Baby Keem | The Melodic Blue | |
Tanna Leone | Sleepy Soldier |
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Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers |
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Baby Keem | The Melodic Blue (Deluxe) |
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Year | Film | Director(s) | Notes | Distributor |
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2022 | We Cry Together | Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, Jake Schreier | Short film | YouTube |
Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour | Mike Carson, Dave Free, Mark Ritchie | Concert film | Amazon Studios | |
2025 | Untitled film | Trey Parker | Feature film | Paramount Pictures |
Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album | Director(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | "Hooligan" | Baby Keem | The Melodic Blue | Jake Schreier |
2021 | "No Sense" | Savannah Setten | ||
"Durag Activity" | Baby Keem and Travis Scott | Eliel Ford | ||
"Family Ties" | Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar | Dave Free | ||
The Melodic Blue (album trailer) | Baby Keem | |||
"Issues" | Jake Schreier | |||
"First Order of Business" | Dave Free | |||
2022 | "16" | Jonas Lindstroem | ||
"With The Villains" | Tanna Leone | Sleepy Soldier | Neal Farmer | |
"Death 'N Taxes" | ||||
"The Heart Part 5" | Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers | Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar | |
"N95" | ||||
"Picasso" | Tanna Leone | Sleepy Soldier | Medet | |
"Rich Spirit" | Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers | Calmatic | |
"Count Me Out" | Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar | |||
2023 | "The Hillbillies" | Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar | — | Neal Farmer |
2024 | "Not Like Us" | Kendrick Lamar | — | Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar |
Title | Release date | Director(s) | Star(s) |
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PGLang for Calvin Klein | January 14, 2021 | Dave Free |
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PGLang for Converse | May 2, 2022 | Savannah Setten | |
PGLang for Cash App | August 14, 2022 | Dave Free |
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PGLang for Converse | October 23–25, 2023 |
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Award | Year [lower-alpha 1] | Recipient(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
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Webby Awards | 2023 | "That's Money" (PGLang for Cash App) | Top Scripted (Branded) Video | Won | |
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity | "The Heart Part 5" | Film Craft Lion for Visual Effects | Bronze Lion | ||
"Balcony" (PGLang for Cash App) | Entertainment Lion for Partnerships with Talent | Bronze Lion | |||
Film Craft Lion for Direction | Bronze Lion | ||||
We Cry Together – A Short Film | Grand Prix | ||||
Film Craft Lion for Cinematography | Gold Lion | ||||
PGLang | Independent Agency of the Year – Craft | Won |
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored.
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) is an American independent record label. Specializing in hip hop and R&B artists, TDE is based in Carson, California. The label was founded in 2004 by record producer Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, who is the chief executive officer. His son, Anthony "Moosa" Tiffith Jr., and Terrence "Punch" Henderson are the presidents of the label.
Digi+Phonics is an African American hip hop production team, composed of California-based record producers Tae Beast, Sounwave, Dave Free and Willie B. They currently serve as the main in-house producers for Carson-based record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Digi+Phonics work significantly on projects from all the members of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, who are also signed to Top Dawg and is composed of rappers Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul. Their best known productions include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" by Kendrick Lamar, "There He Go" by Schoolboy Q, and "Terrorist Threats" by Ab-Soul. They frequently co-produce songs together and put the finishing touches on the projects released by Top Dawg Entertainment.
Mark Anthony Spears, known professionally as Sounwave, is an American record producer and songwriter. He is a frequent collaborator of rapper Kendrick Lamar, having worked on all of his projects since his 2009 self-titled extended play. Sounwave has also worked with artists such as Taylor Swift, Chloe x Halle, Baby Keem, Mac Miller, and Bleachers. He has won three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rap Album.
David Isaac Friley, known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker and record producer. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, he is best known for his creative partnership with rapper Kendrick Lamar. During his tenure as co-president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Free directed music videos and short films with Lamar under the name the Little Homies. Following his departure from TDE in 2019, he co-founded the creative company PGLang. Among Free's accolades are one Grammy Award and three MTV Video Music Awards.
Sir Darryl Farris, known mononymously as Sir, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, he released his debut album Seven Sundays (2015), via indie label Fresh Selects. He would go on to secure a record deal with Carson-based indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), where he released his second album November (2018). His third album, Chasing Summer (2019), was also issued by TDE, in conjunction with major-label RCA Records.
American rapper Kendrick Lamar has appeared in 74 music videos, 17 of which he directed with his creative partner Dave Free. He was featured in several documentaries, helmed three short films, and released one concert film.
Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., known professionally as Baby Keem, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Las Vegas, he gained recognition in the late 2010s with his contributions to Black Panther: The Album, Redemption, Crash Talk, and The Lion King: The Gift. He rose to prominence in 2019 through his sleeper hit single "Orange Soda".
American rapper and record producer Baby Keem has released one studio album, two mixtapes, four extended plays (EP), and ten singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold one million certified albums and five million certified singles in the United States.
"Durag Activity" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Travis Scott, released on April 30, 2021, by Columbia Records and PGLang as the lead single from Keem's debut studio album The Melodic Blue (2021). The song was written by Keem and Scott alongside producer Brick!. A durag is a close-fitting cloth tied around the top of the head to protect the hair.
The Melodic Blue is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Baby Keem. It was released on September 10, 2021, by PGLang and Columbia Records, with Keem serving as the executive producer. The standard version of the album featured guest appearances by rappers Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. An updated version, released on September 22, features an additional guest appearance from singer Brent Faiyaz. The deluxe edition of The Melodic Blue, released on October 28, 2022, contained additional guest appearances from PinkPantheress and Lil Uzi Vert.
"Family Ties" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. The song was released on August 27, 2021, by Columbia Records and pgLang. The song serves as the fourth single from Keem's debut album, The Melodic Blue. The song also serves as Lamar’s first musical release under pgLang, a production company he co-founded in March 2020.
"Range Brothers" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. The song was released on September 10, 2021 by Columbia Records and pgLang as the fourth track off of the former's debut album, The Melodic Blue. "Range Brothers" made the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip Hop songs charts among others. The third portion of the song's chorus by Lamar was leaked before the album's release and became a viral internet meme.
Avante Ramone Santana, known professionally as Tanna Leone, is an American rapper. Born in Los Angeles, he began to gain recognition in the underground hip hop scenes of Atlanta under the stage names Noviiimber and Baby Santana. In March 2022, Leone signed a recording contract with PGLang, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings. His debut studio album, Sleepy Soldier, was released the following month. Leone earned his first Grammy Award nomination for his work on Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022).
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is the fifth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on May 13, 2022, by PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album serves as his first release under his creative company PGLang, and his final project with both TDE and Aftermath. It features narration by Whitney Alford and Eckhart Tolle, and guest appearances from Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. Lamar, who executive produced the album under the pseudonym Oklama, reunited with frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, and Bekon for the majority of the album's production.
"N95" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 20, 2022, through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Lamar's cousin, fellow American rapper and record producer Baby Keem.
"We Cry Together" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar and American actress Taylour Paige, taken from the former's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, released on May 13, 2022. The eighth track on the album, Lamar wrote the song alongside the Alchemist, Bekon, and J.Lbs. Florence Welch and Gary Peacock received additional songwriting credits for the sampling of their respective songs "June" and "Valentine".
"Silent Hill" is a song by American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Kodak Black. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio and urban contemporary radio through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records as the first US single from Lamar's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 31, 2022. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave, and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Beach Noise.
Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour is a 2022 American concert film documenting The Big Steppers Tour, the 2022–2023 concert tour by rapper Kendrick Lamar. Directed by Mike Carson, Dave Free and Mark A. Ritchie, it was filmed in October 2022 at Accor Arena in Paris.
"The Hillbillies" is a song by American rappers Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar. It was a surprise song, initially released on May 30, 2023, as a YouTube exclusive. The song was later serviced to streaming platforms on June 5, 2023, via PGLang and Columbia Records. A drill track, Keem and Lamar wrote "The Hillbillies" with its producer Evilgiane. It includes a sample of "PDLIF" by Bon Iver, and an interpolation of "Sticky" by Drake.