Introduction to pgLang
pgLang is a new creative company founded by Grammy award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar and his long-time collaborator Dave Free. Described as a "service company," pgLang aims to provide infrastructure and support for boundary-pushing creative voices across multiple artistic disciplines.
Rather than focusing on just music or one specific medium, pgLang has a multi-disciplinary mission to produce innovative works spanning music, film, television, art, fashion and more. Lamar and Free envision pgLang as a platform to collaborate with creators in different genres and empower them to bring bold, authentic visions to life.
With its genre-blurring approach and emphasis on visual media, pgLang represents an exciting new player in the creative space. Though details remain scarce, pgLang is already generating buzz as a disruptive force that could uniquely shape culture in the coming years.
pgLang’s Mission and Vision
pgLang’s mission is focused on being "at service to creators and projects" that aim to convey "universal truths" through bold, authentic art. They laid out this mission statement clearly in their striking visual manifesto video that was released when pgLang was first announced.
The manifesto video features symbolic imagery and cryptic messaging that provides insight into pgLang’s overall vision. Scenes include a black panther prowling through a museum, a hooded figure floating underwater, and obscure phrases like "We serve and provide" flashing on screen.
These visuals emphasize pgLang’s desire to empower artists and give them the resources to execute their full creative visions without any limitations or boundaries. As Kendrick Lamar stated about pgLang, "The purpose is to show personal truth…to me that’s the key of life."
Similarly, Dave Free highlighted pgLang’s focus on shaping culture across multiple disciplines, not just music. In an interview he explained, "We’re trying to be disruptive. The direction of pgLang is for it to represent creativity from all over the place, not just one thing."
With this multimedia focus and emphasis on artistic freedom, pgLang aims to be a disruptive creative force that pushes culture forward into bold new territory.
Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s Creative Partnership
Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free have a long history of creative collaboration that stretches back over a decade. The two first met in the 2000s through mutual friends in the music industry. Dave Free originally started out directing music videos for Kendrick before becoming an integral business partner as the rapper’s career took off.
Over the years, Kendrick and Dave have spearheaded iconic visuals and branding for Kendrick’s albums. For 2012’s breakthrough good kid, m.A.A.d city, Dave Free directed the evocative music videos and handled the album’s artwork. This close partnership continued with 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly, including the ambitious short film "God Is Gangsta" tied to the album. Dave also directed the memorable music videos for songs like "Alright" and "King Kunta" that amplified the record’s impact.
Beyond music videos and album artwork, Dave Free has been instrumental in shaping Kendrick Lamar’s live performances and tours. Their creative chemistry has produced some of Kendrick’s most memorable onstage moments, including his explosive 2015 performance at the BET Awards. Dave Free has a knack for translating Kendrick’s musical narratives into compelling visual storytelling.
After over a decade of honing their collaborative process, pgLang represents Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free formalizing their creative partnership into an official entity. With pgLang, the visionaries now have a platform to take even bigger creative swings across mediums. The company will allow them to further blur the lines between music, film, and art without any limitations. Their proven track record of executing ambitious, boundary-pushing projects is what makes pgLang such an exciting prospect.
pgLang’s Collaborations and Projects
pgLang has already collaborated with several notable artists and creators in its short time since launching. One of their first partnerships was with the minimalist technology company Light Phone, resulting in a limited edition pgLang variant of Light Phone’s device. The sleek pgLang phone features a custom mirror-like design on the back panel, representing the company’s emphasis on reflective self-knowledge.
pgLang also released the surreal music video for the song "Boop" by Kendrick’s cousin and protégé Baby Keem last year. The symbolic, dreamlike visuals showcase pgLang’s unconventional approach to storytelling through film. Other pgLang collaborations so far include projects with musicians like Keem, singers like Summer Walker, and actors like Taylour Paige.
Given pgLang’s multimedia ambitions, we can likely expect even more exciting partnerships and releases in the future. The company has hinted at upcoming fashion lines, podcasts, and publishing projects that would further expand their genre-blurring creative purview. With pgLang’s indie spirit and generous resources, it has the potential to empower diverse voices across artistic disciplines. The pgLang collaboration model allows creators the freedom to fully express their vision through multiple mediums.
pgLang’s Unique Creative Approach
pgLang is purposefully taking an unconventional, genre-blurring approach with its creative projects. Unlike traditional record labels or media companies, pgLang aims to empower artists to realize bold visions across mediums without being constrained by genre limitations.
A core part of pgLang’s unique approach is an emphasis on visual media, technology, and design. Their projects seamlessly blend music, film, fashion, and other artforms through an avant-garde aesthetic and striking use of visuals. For example, Baby Keem’s pgLang-produced "Boop" music video contains heavily stylized, surreal imagery more akin to an art film than a typical rap video.
Additionally, pgLang provides the resources and infrastructure necessary for artists to execute their complete creative visions. Kendrick Lamar has stated that pgLang exists "at service to creators and projects" and wants to "allow creators to take their careers to the next levels." This means pgLang offers support ranging from conceptualization to physical production to make innovative works possible.
With pgLang’s unconventional, multidisciplinary approach focused on realizing bold creative visions through design, visuals and technology, they are poised to make waves across genres and mediums in the years to come. pgLang gives artists the freedom and support to break creative boundaries.
The Future of pgLang
pgLang has massive potential based on its unique positioning and the talents of Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free. Though the company is still new, it’s clear pgLang has big ambitions across music, film, television, technology, and more.
With Kendrick and Dave at the helm, pgLang is likely to release innovative, boundary-pushing projects that empower bold creative voices. We can expect pgLang to have a disruptive influence on culture by providing resources and support for artists and creators across disciplines.
There are several upcoming pgLang releases and initiatives to watch for in the coming months and years. The company has been teasing mysterious new music that could indicate Kendrick Lamar’s next album or projects from pgLang artists. Potential podcasts, films, and fashion collaborations have also been hinted at based on pgLang’s multimedia focus.
Whatever pgLang has in store next, it’s sure to continue challenging conventions and shaping the culture. pgLang represents an exciting new creative force that will make waves for years to come by empowering daring artistic visions across mediums. Keep an eye out for pgLang to deliver innovative, vital projects that aim to move the needle of creativity.
Kendrick Lamar’s Vision
Kendrick Lamar’s creative vision has continued to evolve over his acclaimed music career. Known for his conceptual, boundary-pushing albums, Kendrick has consistently aimed to push hip hop forward. With pgLang, Kendrick wants to further expand his artistic ambitions beyond just music.
pgLang represents Kendrick doubling down on his desire to uplift and platform bold creative voices. He has spoken about how he wants pgLang to empower artists to produce innovative works that convey "universal truths." This aligns with Kendrick’s own music which often tackles profound themes through masterful storytelling.
Kendrick has also mentioned his interest in exploring mediums like film, TV, and podcasting through pgLang. He likely sees the company as a vehicle to collaborate with creators across different disciplines. pgLang provides the infrastructure for Kendrick to contribute his talents as a writer and producer to a range of multimedia projects.
Ultimately, pgLang embodies Kendrick’s creative restlessness and constant desire to evolve. Even at the height of his music career, he remains committed to breaking ground in new ways and shaping culture across different mediums. With pgLang, Kendrick can fully stretch his wings as an artistic visionary.
Dave Free’s Leadership
As president of Top Dawg Entertainment, Dave Free has already proven himself as an adept creative leader and business strategist. He first made his name directing iconic music videos for Kendrick Lamar before taking the helm at TDE. Now with pgLang, Dave’s operational leadership and partnership with Kendrick Lamar is driving the company’s success.
Dave and Kendrick have collaborated creatively for over a decade on projects like Kendrick’s groundbreaking album visuals. As longtime friends, their seamless partnership is key to pgLang’s mission. While Kendrick provides the overarching creative vision, Dave handles the day-to-day business operations. He leverages his sharp business acumen to provide artists with the infrastructure and support systems needed to execute bold ideas.
Under Dave’s leadership, pgLang has already rolled out innovative projects spanning music, film, and product design. For example, Dave led the collaboration with Light Phone to create a limited edition minimalist pgLang phone aligned with the brand’s ethos. He has also overseen pgLang’s artistic releases like the surreal "Boop" music video directed by Kendrick. Dave’s ability to turn unconventional creative concepts into reality makes him an integral part of pgLang’s success.
With Dave Free at the helm of operations, pgLang is positioned to continue empowering artistic talents across a wide spectrum of mediums. His partnership and history with Kendrick Lamar gives pgLang a unique edge in realizing ambitious creative visions. As both a business leader and creative partner, Dave enables pgLang to break new ground.
pgLang’s Designs
pgLang has quickly developed a distinctive visual style that reinforces its creative ethos. Much of this stems from Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free’s close collaboration with talented designers to bring their visions to life.
For example, pgLang’s cryptic logo features stylized, slanted black lettering overlaid on a white background. The aesthetic feels both retro and modern, reflecting pgLang’s mission to reimagine the past through a progressive lens.
Similarly, pgLang’s striking manifesto video contained rich symbolic imagery open to interpretation. Scenes of a young Black man sinking into water intertwined with a Black ballerina’s dance conveyed themes of struggle, resilience and transcendence. pgLang’s Instagram bio summarizing their mission also uses stylized, slanted fonts matching their logo’s vibe.
pgLang’s collaboration with Light Phone on a limited edition minimalist phone design further showcased their sharp aesthetic. The sleek black phone with pgLang etched on the back encapsulated their fusion of art and technology. Even small touches like pgLang stickers and merchandise contain thoughtfully designed, evocative visuals.
As pgLang rolls out more ambitious projects, its visual presentation will likely continue reflecting its boundary-pushing creative ethos. With Kendrick and Dave enabling brilliant designers to bring concepts to life, pgLang’s imagery helps manifest their disruptive vision. Distinct branding is key for a company aiming to shake up culture across artistic disciplines.
Business Model
pgLang has maintained a fairly secretive business model since its founding. As an independent company, pgLang seems focused on maintaining complete creative control without relying on major corporate backing.
This aligns with statements from Kendrick Lamar about pgLang being a "service company" providing resources to execute artists’ visions. It appears pgLang wants to empower daring creative voices without commercial compromises.
To retain independence, pgLang may utilize diverse monetization methods. The company could take a cut of artists’ revenue from creative projects while retaining IP ownership. Selling exclusive pgLang merchandise is another route. The Light Phone collaboration also hints at high-end physical products as a pgLang income stream.
Additionally, pgLang is exploring brand partnerships on its own terms. The company partnered with Calvin Klein and produced an evocative dystopian ad spot centering Black love. pgLang maintains it will only associate with brands embracing its ethos of radical creativity.
Overall, pgLang seems focused on a lean business model that eschews outside funding. This approach suggests pgLang will retain full control over its creative output. As Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free stated, "Independence is freedom."