PGLang
| Company type | Independent company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Creative communications, music, visual media |
| Founded | March 5, 2020 |
| Founder | Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free |
| Products | Music production, visual media content, advertising campaigns |
| Owner | Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free |
PGLang (stylized as pgLang, an abbreviation of "program language") is an independent, multidisciplinary creative communications firm headquartered in Los Angeles, United States. Established and owned by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, the company specializes in producing music and visual media content. It has been honored with six accolades from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, including the prestigious 2023 Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft.
2019–2021: Origins and establishment
Rapper Kendrick Lamar and filmmaker Dave Free first connected during their high school years and both signed with the independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in the early 2000s. Free advanced to become co-president of TDE, while Lamar maintained a minority ownership stake. Together, they created the filmmaking collective known as the Little Homies, directing numerous music videos. On October 4, 2019, Free departed from TDE to pursue independent projects alongside rapper Baby Keem. Subsequently, Lamar announced his exit from TDE coinciding with the release of his fifth studio album.
PGLang officially launched on March 5, 2020, described as a "multilingual, artist-friendly, at service company." The organization’s core mission centers on storytelling across diverse mediums such as music, film, television, art, literature, and podcasts, with an emphasis on producing accessible content that defies conventional formats. Free emphasized that PGLang is neither a record label nor a film studio or publishing entity; rather, it operates as a communications company dedicated to fostering authentic creative expression through grassroots collaborations. This deliberate ambiguity provides room for artistic freedom and innovation beyond standard corporate identities.
On January 13, 2021, PGLang debuted an advertising campaign for fashion brand Calvin Klein, featuring seven short films both written and directed by Free. The campaign showcased Baby Keem, Brent Faiyaz, and Travis Bennett. Baby Keem released his debut album The Melodic Blue on September 10, 2021, under a joint deal with Columbia Records. The album was met with critical acclaim and debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart. Its single "Family Ties", featuring Lamar, won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.
2022–present: Expansion, collaborations, and Project 3
On January 13, 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that Lamar and Free were collaborating on a comedy feature film through PGLang in partnership with South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker for Paramount Pictures. The untitled project is scheduled for theatrical release on July 4, 2025. On March 9, PGLang signed rapper Tanna Leone under Def Jam Recordings; he subsequently released his debut album Sleepy Soldier on April 27, 2022. Shortly after, on May 2, PGLang unveiled a footwear collaboration and promotional campaign with Converse featuring Leone alongside Selah Marley.
Lamar’s fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, was released on May 13, 2022. The critically lauded record debuted atop the Billboard 200 and earned the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. PGLang organized the supporting Big Steppers Tour through partnerships with Cash App and Amazon Music. The tour included an award-winning Cash App campaign starring Lamar and Ray Dalio as well as a short film adaptation of Lamar’s track "We Cry Together." A concert film documenting the tour premiered on Amazon Prime Video in November 2022. Additionally, PGLang collaborated with Spotify and NGO Surf Ghana to establish Vibrate Space—a community recording studio paired with a music business education program located in Accra.
At the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, PGLang secured six awards including the Film Craft Grand Prix for Direction and Independent Agency of the Year – Craft honors. In November 2023, the company launched its second Converse footwear collaboration alongside its inaugural mobile phone partnership with Light Phone. The Converse campaign featured Dominic Fike and Baby Keem. Furthermore, PGLang announced a five-year alliance with Global Citizen to create Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience—marking Africa’s first large-scale touring circuit.
On June 19, 2024, Lamar performed an impromptu concert titled The Pop Out: Ken & Friends at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Held in celebration of Juneteenth and Black Music Month, it was Lamar’s first major live event following his public dispute with Drake. The three-hour show included appearances by over 25 West Coast artists and featured four diss tracks aimed at Drake performed live for the first time. Due to overwhelming demand, Amazon Music live-streamed the event via Prime Video and Twitch to an audience of approximately 16,000 attendees. The concert was widely praised as a cultural landmark for West Coast hip hop and set a record for most minutes viewed on Amazon Music.
On November 22, 2024, Lamar released GNX, his sixth studio album and second under PGLang’s banner. Named after the Buick Regal model and marking his departure from Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment labels, GNX includes collaborations with artists such as SZA, Jack Antonoff, and Kamasi Washington.
On September 8, 2024, the NFL together with Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Lamar as headliner for the Super Bowl LIX halftime show—making him the first rapper to headline multiple Super Bowl halftime performances. Lamar revealed this news through a one-shot promotional trailer directed by Dave Free. The halftime show took place on February 9, 2025 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans featuring special guests SZA, Samuel L. Jackson, Serena Williams, and Mustard. Broadcast nationally by Fox and streamed on Tubi and NFL+, it attracted a combined domestic viewership of 133.5 million—the highest audience ever recorded for a halftime show in U.S. history.
On March 18, 2025 business publication Fast Company ranked PGLang as the world’s 15th most innovative company across all sectors.
On July 31, 2025 PGLang introduced Project 3—a global creative agency division—with its launch accompanied by a short film titled The Agency. The film stars Chase Sui Wonders and Lionel Boyce and was directed by Jack Begert alongside Dave Free.
On November 12, 2025 Project 3 announced a collaboration with Singapore’s ArtScience Museum to assist in its rebranding initiatives as well as upcoming exhibitions at Marina Bay Sands located in Singapore’s Downtown Core.
Roster
| Artist | Year joined |
Releases through PGLang |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kendrick Lamar | Founder | 2 | In collaboration with Interscope |
| Baby Keem | 2020 | 1 | Partnership with Columbia |
| Tanna Leone | 2020 | 1 | Joint release with Def Jam |
Studio albums
| Performer | Album Title | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Keem | The Melodic Blue |
|
| Tanna Leone | Sleepy Soldier |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers |
|
| Baby Keem | The Melodic Blue (Deluxe) |
|
| Kendrick Lamar | GNX |
|
Films
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Description | Distributor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | We Cry Together | Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, Jake Schreier | Short film production | Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records |
| Kendrick Lamar Live: The Big Steppers Tour | Mike Carson, Dave Free, Mark A. Ritchie | Concert feature film | Amazon Studios | |
| 2024 | The Pop Out: Ken & Friends | Damien Gravois, Mike Carson | Concert film presentation | Prime Video, Twitch |
| 2025 | Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show | Hamish Hamilton | Halftime show performance | NFL, Apple Music |
| 2026 | Untitled Trey Parker project | Trey Parker | Feature-length film | Paramount Pictures |
Music videos
| Year | Track Title | Performer(s) | Album Association | 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" | "Dave Free" | ||
| "Issues" | "Baby Keem" | "Jake Schreier" | ||
| "First Order of Business" | "Baby Keem" | "Dave Free" | ||
| "16" | "Baby Keem" | "Jonas Lindstroem" | ||
| "With The Villains" | "Tanna Leone" | "Sleepy Soldier" | "Neal Farmer" | |
| "Death 'N Taxes" | "Tanna Leone" | "Sleepy Soldier" | "Neal Farmer" | |
| "The Heart Part 5" | "Kendrick Lamar" | "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers" | "Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar" | |
| "N95" | "Kendrick Lamar" | "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers" | "Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar" | |
| "Picasso" | "Tanna Leone" | "Sleepy Soldier" | "Medet" | |
| "Rich Spirit" | "Kendrick Lamar" | "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers" | "Calmatic" | |
| "Count Me Out" | "Kendrick Lamar" | "Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers" | "Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar" | |
| "The Hillbillies" | "Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar" | null | "Neal Farmer" | |
| "Not Like Us" | "Kendrick Lamar" | null | "Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar" | |
| 'GNX' (album trailer) | 'Kendrick Lamar' | 'GNX' | 'Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar' | |
| 'Squabble Up' | 'Kendrick Lamar' | 'GNX' | 'Calmatic' | |
| 'Luther' | 'Kendrick Lamar and SZA' | null | 'Karena Evans' |
Advertising campaigns
| Title | Launch date | Director(s) | Featured talent |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGLang collaboration with Calvin Klein | January 14, 2021 | Dave Free |
|
| PGLang partnership with Converse | May 2, 2022 | Savannah Setten | |
| PGLang campaign for Cash App | August 14, 2022 | Dave Free |
|
| PGLang project for Converse | October 23–25, 2023 |
|
|
| "The Button", PGLang collaboration with Chanel | January 20, 2024 | Dave Free | |
| September 9, 2024 | Dave Free | Kendrick Lamar | |
| "The Salon", PGLang campaign for Cash App | November 26, 2024 | Calmatic | Angel Reese |
| Official Trailer for Apple Music SBLIX Halftime Show | January 23, 2025 | Template:N/A |
|
| "The Agency" (promotional short film for Project 3 by PGLang) | July 31, 2025 | Jack Begert |
Accolades
}References
| Award | Year | Honoree(s) | Category | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webby Awards | 2023 | "That's Money" (PGLang for Cash App) | Top Scripted (Branded) Video | Template:Won | |
| Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity | "The Heart Part 5" | Film Craft Lion – Visual Effects | Template:Won | ||
| "Balcony" (PGLang for Cash App) | Entertainment Lion – Talent Partnerships | Template:Won | |||
| Film Craft Lion – Direction | Template:Won | ||||
| We Cry Together – A Short Film | Grand Prix – Film Craft Lion | Template:Won | |||
| Film Craft Lion – Cinematography | Template:Won | ||||
| PGLang | Independent Agency of the Year – Craft | Template:Won | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | 2025 | "Super Bowl LIX halftime show The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar" (Kendrick Lamar and Tony Russell) | "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction Outstanding Music Direction" |
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