2019–2021: Background and launch
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]
2022–present: Breakthrough and brand collaborations
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]
Lamar unexpectedly announced The Pop Out: Ken & Friends two weeks prior to the event. It was a one-off concert held at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on June 19, 2024. The Juneteenth and Black Music Month celebration marked Lamar's first major performance following his highly publicized feud with Canadian rapper Drake. Its set list consisted of about 60 songs predominantly conceived by musicians based in the Greater Los Angeles area. Spanning over three hours, over 25 West Coast artists were featured during the event, including opening acts DJ Hed and Mustard, Ty Dolla Sign, Dom Kennedy, Steve Lacy, Tyler, the Creator, Roddy Ricch, YG, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and Dr. Dre. Lamar performed four of his five Drake-aimed diss tracks, "Like That", "Euphoria", "6:16 in LA" and "Not Like Us", for the first time during his headlining set; the latter track was performed five consecutive times. After witnessing an exceedingly high demand in tickets, Amazon Music live-streamed the Pop Out through Prime Video and Twitch. A total of 16,000 fans were in attendance for the event. The impromptu concert received widespread acclaim from critics, who hailed it as a cultural landmark for West Coast hip hop and Lamar's legacy. It currently holds the record for the most minutes watched of any video production distributed by Amazon Music.
On November 22nd, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released GNX , his sixth album and second under PGLang. [37] Titled after the Buick Regal model and following his feud with Drake, GNX is Lamar's first album to be released after his departure from longtime labels Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment. [38] [39]
On September 8, 2024, the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Lamar as the headlining act for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show. [40] He is the first rapper to lead the festivities multiple times. [41] Lamar shared the news by posting a promotional trailer on YouTube, which was directed by his long-time creative partner Dave Free. [42] The one-shot trailer shows him on a football field in front of a large American flag throwing footballs through a passing machine at off-screen players. [42] As he shouts motivational remarks to them, he introduces himself as the headliner. [42] In the video announcing his selection, Lamar said "You know it's only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos", which was interpreted as a shot against Drake, who posted a few weeks before that "we will win Game 2". [43] [44] [45] Speculation arose as to whether he would incorporate "Not Like Us" into his performance. [46] [47] On January 23, 2025, it was announced that SZA would be joining as a special guest. [48] The Super Bowl LIX halftime show, officially known as the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show for sponsorship reasons, was the halftime entertainment of Super Bowl LIX, which took place on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It featured guest appearances from singer-songwriter SZA, actor Samuel L. Jackson, tennis player Serena Williams, and DJ and record producer Mustard. The show was televised nationally in the U.S. by Fox and Fox Deportes, with streaming available via Tubi and NFL+. The performance was seen by a combined 133.5 million viewers domestically across all platforms, surpassing Michael Jackson's performance at Super Bowl XXVII in 1993 as the most viewed halftime show in the United States.
On 18 March 2025, American business magazine Fast Company released their "annual ranking of the world's most innovative companies over 58 industries and sectors, from advertising to video", with PGLang ranked as the 15th overall. [49]
