Dave Free Explained

Dave Free
Birth Name:David Isaac Friley
Birth Date:13 November 1986
Birth Place:Inglewood, California, U.S.
Years Active:2004–present
Organization:PGLang
Module:
Embed:yes
Past Member Of:Digi+Phonics

David Isaac Friley[1] (born November 13, 1986), known professionally as Dave Free, is an American filmmaker and record producer.[2] 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.[3] [4]

Early life

David Isaac Friley was born on November 13, 1986, in Inglewood, California; the son of a couple from the North and South Sides of Chicago.[5] He is the youngest of three children. Friley is a childhood friend of rapper Kendrick Lamar, having met while they were both in high school.[6] After graduating, he worked as a computer technician while helping Lamar begin his rap career.[7] He used his job to showcase Lamar's music to Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, founder and CEO of independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), which led to him signing a recording contract with the label in 2005.[8] [9]

Career

Shortly after Lamar signed with TDE, Free joined the label as an in-house producer. He became a member of the hip hop production team Digi+Phonics alongside Sounwave, Willie B and Tae Beast and worked significantly on projects for the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, composed of Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.[10] Their production work received critical praise; Complex named Digi+Phonics as one of the top 25 new producers to watch out for in November 2012.[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] In 2007, he was named the label's co-president alongside Terrence "Punch" Henderson.[14] Free subsequently became Lamar's manager during his tenure and co-directed several of his studio albums and accompanying music videos under the collective name The Little Homies.[15] [16] Their filmmaking work earned praise and led to the duo winning the Grammy Award for Best Music Video and the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Hip Hop Video and Video of the Year.[17] [18]

On October 4, 2019, Rolling Stone reported that Free had left TDE and was working independently. He was also helping rapper Baby Keem as he started gaining recognition and expressed his intention of "getting heavy into the film game."[19] On March 5, 2020, Free and Lamar launched the "multi-lingual" creative company PGLang.[20] [21] Through the company, Free has written and directed several music videos and advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Converse and Cash App.[22] [23] [24] On January 13, 2022, Free and Lamar announced they were producing an untitled comedy film with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Paramount Pictures.[25]

Accolades

OrganizationYearCategoryNominated workResult
BET Awards2023Video Director of the YearFree and Kendrick Lamar[26]
BET Hip Hop Awards2022[27]
2023[28]
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity2023Film Craft Lion for DirectionWe Cry Together – A Short Film[29]
Grammy Awards2016Best Music Video"Alright"[30]
2018"Humble"[31]
2023"The Heart Part 5"[32]
2024"Count Me Out"[33]
Best Music FilmLive From Paris, The Big Steppers Tour
MTV Video Music Awards2015Best Direction"Alright"[34]
Video of the Year
2017Best Direction"Humble"[35]
Video of the Year
2022Best Direction"Family Ties"[36]
2023"Count Me Out"[37]
Variety Hitmakers2022Creativity and Impact AwardHimself[38]

Discography

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[39]

As producer
As creative director

Notes and References

  1. Web site: David Isaac Friley, Born 11/13/1986 in California . 2023-04-01 . California Birth Index.
  2. News: Jackson . Mitchell S. . 2022-12-27 . Kendrick Lamar's New Chapter: Raw, Intimate and Unconstrained . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-07-18 . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: Tardio . Andres . 2015-08-21 . Here's How Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies' . https://web.archive.org/web/20150825002636/http://www.mtv.com/news/2246258/kendrick-lamar-dave-free-little-homies/ . dead . August 25, 2015 . 2023-07-29 . MTV.
  4. News: Phillips . Yoh . 2016-04-07 . The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap . 2023-07-29 . DJBooth.
  5. News: Jackson . Mitchell S. . 2022-12-27 . Kendrick Lamar's Unconstrained Next Chapter . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-12-27 . 0362-4331.
  6. Web site: Yoo . Noah . 2019-10-04 . Dave Free No Longer Co-President of Top Dawg Entertainment: Report . 2022-08-18 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  7. Web site: Greenburg . Zack O'Malley . Meet Dave Free, Kendrick Lamar's 30 Under 30 Manager . 2022-08-18 . Forbes . en.
  8. Web site: Droke . Carolyn . 2019-10-05 . Dave Free Reportedly Steps Down As Top Dawg Entertainment's President . 2022-08-18 . UPROXX . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2011-01-06 . Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin' To Say . 2022-08-18 . HipHopDX.
  10. News: Ducker . Eric . 2014-07-23 . A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success . en . NPR . 2022-11-12.
  11. Web site: 25 New Producers To Watch Out For . 2022-11-12 . Complex . en.
  12. Web site: 10 Young Producers On the Rise . 2022-11-12 . BET . en.
  13. Web site: More Levels, The Brains Behind Top Dawg Entertainment [September 2012 Story] - XXL ]. 2022-08-18 . XXL Mag . October 24, 2012 . en.
  14. Web site: Kendrick Lamar Addresses Macklemore Text, Will Reportedly Release His New Album In September . 2022-08-18 . Complex . en.
  15. News: Phillips . Yoh . The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap . 2022-08-18 . DJBooth . en.
  16. Web site: Here's How Kendrick Lamar And Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies' . https://web.archive.org/web/20220810143433/https://www.mtv.com/news/mpcmpj/kendrick-lamar-dave-free-little-homies . dead . August 10, 2022 . 2022-08-18 . MTV . en.
  17. Web site: 2018-01-28 . Grammy Awards Winners: The Complete List . 2022-08-18 . Variety . en-US.
  18. Web site: Berry . Peter A. . Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' Wins Best Hip-Hop at 2017 MTV Video Music Awards - XXL . 2022-08-18 . XXL Mag . August 28, 2017 . en.
  19. Leight . Elias . 2019-10-04 . Dave Free Leaves Top Dawg Entertainment . 2022-08-18 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  20. Mamo . Heran . 2020-03-05 . Kendrick Lamar Announces Mysterious 'pgLang' Project: What Does It All Mean? . 2022-08-18 . Billboard . en-US.
  21. Holmes . Charles . 2020-03-05 . Kendrick Lamar Launches… Something (And Says It's Not a Record Label) . 2022-08-18 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  22. Web site: Dunn . Frankie . 2021-01-14 . Kendrick Lamar's pgLang has collaborated with Calvin Klein . 2022-08-18 . i-D . en.
  23. Web site: Inman . DeMicia . 2022-05-04 . A Closer Look At The "pgLang For Converse" Collaboration . 2022-08-18 . VIBE.com . en-US.
  24. Web site: Kendrick Lamar Links With Billionaire Ray Dalio for New pgLang-Produced Video Promoting Financial Literacy . 2022-08-18 . Complex . en.
  25. Web site: Grobar . Matt . 2022-01-13 . Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free & 'South Park' Duo Matt Stone And Trey Parker To Produce Comedy Penned By Vernon Chatman For Paramount . 2022-08-18 . Deadline . en-US.
  26. Web site: Tinoco . Armando . 2023-06-26 . BET Awards: SZA, Beyoncé Lead With Most Wins, Including Tying For Album Of The Year . 2023-08-16 . Deadline . en-US.
  27. Grein . Paul . 2022-10-05 . Kendrick Lamar Tops 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full Winners List . 2023-08-16 . Billboard . en-US.
  28. Grein . Paul . 2023-09-07 . Cardi B & 21 Savage Lead Nominations for 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full List . 2023-10-02 . Billboard . en-US.
  29. Web site: Nudd . Tim . 2023-06-20 . Kendrick Lamar's short film 'We Cry Together' wins Film Craft Grand Prix at Cannes . 2023-08-16 . Ad Age . en.
  30. Web site: 2016-02-15 . Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List . 2023-08-16 . Variety . en-US.
  31. News: 2018-01-28 . Grammy 2018 Winners: Full List (Published 2018) . en . The New York Times . 2023-08-16.
  32. Web site: Nordyke . Kimberly . Thomas . Carly . 2023-02-06 . Grammy Awards: Complete List of Winners . 2023-08-16 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  33. News: 2023-11-10 . Grammy Awards 2024: The Full List of Nominees . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-11-16 . 0362-4331.
  34. Web site: Hooton . Christopher . 2015-08-31 . VMAs 2015: Taylor Swift and her buddy Kendrick Lamar clean-up at awards . 2023-08-16 . The Independent . en.
  35. News: Lee . Benjamin . 2017-08-28 . MTV VMAs: Kendrick Lamar wins big in politically charged ceremony . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-16 . 0261-3077.
  36. Web site: Langston . Keith . 2022-08-29 . MTV VMAs winners: See the full list . 2023-08-16 . EW.com . en.
  37. Web site: 2023-08-08 . Taylor Swift tops list of 2023 MTV Video Music Award nominations . 2023-08-16 . CBS News . en-US.
  38. Web site: Panaligan . E. J. . 2022-12-05 . Dave Free Accepts Inaugural Creativity & Impact Award at Variety Hitmakers Ceremony: 'Make Sure We Instill Purpose Into Everything We Do' . 2023-08-16 . Variety . en-US.
  39. Web site: Credits – Dave Free . 2024-05-31 . . en.