American filmmaker (born 1986)
Dave Free
Born (1986-11-13 ) November 13, 1986 (age 39) Occupations Filmmaker record producer record executive DJ Years active 2004–present Organization pgLang Known for Manager ofKendrick Lamar Musical career Also known as Genres Labels Top Dawg (former) Member of The Little Homies Formerly of Digi+Phonics Musical artist
David Isaac Friley [ 1] Dave Free , is an American filmmaker and record producer.[ 2] Inglewood, California , he is best known as the manager and creative partner of fellow California nativeKendrick Lamar . During his tenure as co-president ofTop Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Free directedmusic videos andshort films with Lamar under the name the Little Homies. Following his departure from TDE in 2019, he co-founded the creative companypgLang with Lamar. Free's accolades include twoGrammy Awards and threeMTV Video Music Awards .[ 3] [ 4]
David Isaac Friley was born on November 13, 1986, inInglewood, California ; the son of a couple from theNorth andSouth Sides ofChicago .[ 5] [ 5] Kendrick Lamar , having met while they were both in high school.[ 6] [ 7] Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), which led to him signing arecording contract with the label in 2005.[ 8] [ 9]
Shortly after Lamar signed with TDE, Free joined the label as an in-house producer. He became a member of the hip hop production teamDigi+Phonics alongsideSounwave ,Willie B and Tae Beast and worked significantly on projects for the hip hop supergroupBlack Hippy , composed of Lamar,Jay Rock ,Schoolboy Q andAb-Soul .[ 10] Complex [ 11] BET named them as one of the top ten young producers on the rise in July 2013.[ 12]
Free's business career began as the social media director for TDE.[ 13] Terrence "Punch" Henderson .[ 14] [ 15] [ 16] Grammy Award for Best Music Video and theMTV Video Music Awards forBest Hip Hop Video andVideo of the Year .[ 17] [ 18]
On October 4, 2019,Rolling Stone Baby Keem as he started gaining recognition and expressed his intention of "getting heavy into the film game."[ 19] PGLang .[ 20] [ 21] Calvin Klein ,Converse andCash App .[ 22] [ 23] [ 24] untitled comedy film withSouth Park Trey Parker andMatt Stone forParamount Pictures .[ 25]
On 31 July 2025, PGLang announcedProject 3 , their newest branch and creative agency. The announcement was released along with a short film titledThe Agency , starringChase Sui Wonders andLionel Boyce , directed by Jack Begert, who co-wrote it alongside Free.[ 26] [ 27]
Credits adapted fromAllMusic .[ 42]
As producer Ab-Soul –Longterm Mentality Control System co-exec. )These Days... Isaiah Rashad –The Sun's Tirade Jay Rock –90059 assoc. )Redemption (assoc.) (2018)Kendrick Lamar –Kendrick Lamar (exec.) (2009),Overly Dedicated (exec.) (2010),Section.80 Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (assoc.) (2012),Black Panther: The Album (assoc.) (2018)Lance Skiiiwalker –Introverted Intuition Schoolboy Q –Setbacks (exec.) (2011),Habits & Contradictions (also co-exec.) (2012),Oxymoron (assoc.) (2014),Blank Face LP (assoc.) (2016)SZA –Ctrl (assoc.) (2017)Ascreative director Kendrick Lamar –Damn Black Panther: The Album (artwork direction) (2018),Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Schoolboy Q –Oxymoron (art direction) (2014),Blank Face LP (2016)
^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible. ^a b "David Isaac Friley, Born 11/13/1986 in California" .California Birth Index . Archived fromthe original on January 26, 2023. RetrievedApril 1, 2023 .^ Jackson, Mitchell S. (December 27, 2022)."Kendrick Lamar's New Chapter: Raw, Intimate and Unconstrained" .The New York Times .ISSN 0362-4331 .Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. RetrievedJuly 18, 2023 . ^ Tardio, Andres (August 21, 2015)."Here's How Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies' .MTV the original on August 25, 2015. RetrievedJuly 29, 2023 . ^ Phillips, Yoh (April 7, 2016)."The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap" .DJBooth . RetrievedJuly 29, 2023 . ^a b Jackson, Mitchell S. (December 27, 2022)."Kendrick Lamar's Unconstrained Next Chapter" .The New York Times .ISSN 0362-4331 .Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. RetrievedDecember 27, 2022 . ^ Yoo, Noah (October 4, 2019)."Dave Free No Longer Co-President of Top Dawg Entertainment: Report" .Pitchfork .Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley."Meet Dave Free, Kendrick Lamar's 30 Under 30 Manager" .Forbes .Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Droke, Carolyn (October 5, 2019)."Dave Free Reportedly Steps Down As Top Dawg Entertainment's President" .UPROXX .Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ "Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin' To Say" .HipHopDX . January 6, 2011.Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ Ducker, Eric (July 23, 2014)."A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success" .NPR .Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. RetrievedNovember 12, 2022 . ^ "25 New Producers To Watch Out For" .Complex .Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. RetrievedNovember 12, 2022 .^ "10 Young Producers On the Rise" .BET . RetrievedNovember 12, 2022 .^ "More Levels, The Brains Behind Top Dawg Entertainment [September 2012 Story] - XXL" .XXL Mag . October 24, 2012.Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ "Kendrick Lamar Addresses Macklemore Text, Will Reportedly Release His New Album In September" .Complex .Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ Phillips, Yoh."The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap" .DJBooth .Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ "Here's How Kendrick Lamar And Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies' .MTV . Archived fromthe original on August 10, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ "Grammy Awards Winners: The Complete List" .Variety . January 28, 2018.Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ Berry, Peter A. (August 28, 2017)."Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' Wins Best Hip-Hop at 2017 MTV Video Music Awards - XXL" .XXL Mag .Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Leight, Elias (October 4, 2019)."Dave Free Leaves Top Dawg Entertainment" .Rolling Stone .Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Mamo, Heran (March 5, 2020)."Kendrick Lamar Announces Mysterious 'pgLang' Project: What Does It All Mean?" .Billboard .Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Holmes, Charles (March 5, 2020)."Kendrick Lamar Launches… Something (And Says It's Not a Record Label)" .Rolling Stone .Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Dunn, Frankie (January 14, 2021)."Kendrick Lamar's pgLang has collaborated with Calvin Klein" .i-D . RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ Inman, DeMicia (May 4, 2022)."A Closer Look At The "pgLang For Converse" Collaboration" .VIBE.com . RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ "Kendrick Lamar Links With Billionaire Ray Dalio for New pgLang-Produced Video Promoting Financial Literacy" .Complex .Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 .^ Grobar, Matt (January 13, 2022)."Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free & 'South Park' Duo Matt Stone And Trey Parker To Produce Comedy Penned By Vernon Chatman For Paramount" .Deadline .Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. RetrievedAugust 18, 2022 . ^ "Kendrick Lamar's pgLang Launches Global Creative Agency: Project 3 Agency" .Hypebeast ^ "Kendrick Lamar Launches Project 3 Creative Agency" .Pause magazine . July 31, 2025.^ Tinoco, Armando (June 26, 2023)."BET Awards: SZA, Beyoncé Lead With Most Wins, Including Tying For Album Of The Year" .Deadline .Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ Grein, Paul (October 5, 2022)."Kendrick Lamar Tops 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full Winners List" .Billboard .Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ Grein, Paul (September 7, 2023)."Cardi B & 21 Savage Lead Nominations for 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full List" .Billboard .Archived from the original on September 7, 2023. RetrievedOctober 2, 2023 . ^ Nudd, Tim (June 20, 2023)."Kendrick Lamar's short film 'We Cry Together' wins Film Craft Grand Prix at Cannes" .Ad Age .Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ "Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List" .Variety . February 15, 2016.Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 .^ "Grammy 2018 Winners: Full List (Published 2018)" .The New York Times . January 28, 2018.Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 .^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Thomas, Carly (February 6, 2023)."Grammy Awards: Complete List of Winners" .The Hollywood Reporter .Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ "Grammy Awards 2024: The Full List of Nominees" .The New York Times . November 10, 2023.ISSN 0362-4331 .Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. RetrievedNovember 16, 2023 .^ Conteh, Mankaprr (November 8, 2024)." .Rolling Stone . RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 . ^ Hooton, Christopher (August 31, 2015)."VMAs 2015: Taylor Swift and her buddy Kendrick Lamar clean-up at awards" .The Independent .Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ Lee, Benjamin (August 28, 2017)."MTV VMAs: Kendrick Lamar wins big in politically charged ceremony" .The Guardian .ISSN 0261-3077 .Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ Langston, Keith (August 29, 2022)."MTV VMAs winners: See the full list" .EW.com .Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ "Taylor Swift tops list of 2023 MTV Video Music Award nominations" .CBS News . August 8, 2023.Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 .^ Panaligan, E. J. (December 5, 2022)."Dave Free Accepts Inaugural Creativity & Impact Award at Variety Hitmakers Ceremony: 'Make Sure We Instill Purpose Into Everything We Do' .Variety .Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. RetrievedAugust 16, 2023 . ^ "Credits – Dave Free" .AllMusic .Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. RetrievedMay 31, 2024 .
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