Dave Free

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 as the manager and creative partner of fellow California native 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 with Lamar. Free's accolades include two Grammy Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards.^[3][4]

Dave Free
Born	David Isaac Friley[1] (1986-11-13) November 13, 1986 (age 38) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Occupations	Filmmaker record producer record executive disc jockey
Years active	2004–present
Organization	pgLang
Known for	Manager of Kendrick Lamar
Musical career
Also known as	Miyatola Dee.Jay.Dave
Genres	West Coast hip hop alternative R&B
Labels	Top Dawg (former)
Formerly of	Digi+Phonics

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.^[5] 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

Organization	Year[a]	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
BET Awards	2023	Video Director of the Year	Free and Kendrick Lamar	Nominated	[26]
BET Hip Hop Awards	2022			Won	[27]
	2023			Won	[28]
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity	2023	Film Craft Lion for Direction	We Cry Together – A Short Film	Grand Prix	[29]
Grammy Awards	2016	Best Music Video	"Alright"	Nominated	[30]
	2018		"Humble"	Won	[31]
	2023		"The Heart Part 5"	Nominated	[32]
	2024		"Count Me Out"	Nominated	[33]
		Best Music Film	Live From Paris, The Big Steppers Tour	Nominated
	2025	Best Music Video	"Not Like Us"	Won	[34]
MTV Video Music Awards	2015	Best Direction	"Alright"	Won	[35]
		Video of the Year		Nominated
	2017	Best Direction	"Humble"	Won	[36]
		Video of the Year		Won
	2022	Best Direction	"Family Ties"	Nominated	[37]
	2023		"Count Me Out"	Nominated	[38]
Variety Hitmakers	2022	Creativity and Impact Award	Himself	Won	[39]

Discography

Credits adapted from AllMusic.^[40]

As producer Ab-Soul – Longterm Mentality (2011), Control System (co-exec.) (2012), These Days... (2014) Isaiah Rashad – The Sun's Tirade (2016) Jay Rock – 90059 (assoc.) (2015), Redemption (assoc.) (2018) Kendrick Lamar – Kendrick Lamar (exec.) (2009), Overly Dedicated (exec.) (2010), Section.80 (2011), Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (assoc.) (2012), Black Panther: The Album (assoc.) (2018) Lance Skiiiwalker – Introverted Intuition (2016) Schoolboy Q – Setbacks (exec.) (2011), Habits & Contradictions (also co-exec.) (2012), Oxymoron (assoc.) (2014), Blank Face LP (assoc.) (2016) SZA – Ctrl (assoc.) (2017)

As creative director Kendrick Lamar – Damn (2017), Black Panther: The Album (artwork direction) (2018), Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron (art direction) (2014), Blank Face LP (2016)

Notes

1. Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

1. "David Isaac Friley, Born 11/13/1986 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
2. Jackson, Mitchell S. (December 27, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's New Chapter: Raw, Intimate and Unconstrained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
3. Tardio, Andres (August 21, 2015). "Here's How Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
4. Phillips, Yoh (April 7, 2016). "The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap". DJBooth. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
5. Jackson, Mitchell S. (December 27, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Unconstrained Next Chapter". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
6. Yoo, Noah (October 4, 2019). "Dave Free No Longer Co-President of Top Dawg Entertainment: Report". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
7. Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. "Meet Dave Free, Kendrick Lamar's 30 Under 30 Manager". Forbes. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
8. Droke, Carolyn (October 5, 2019). "Dave Free Reportedly Steps Down As Top Dawg Entertainment's President". UPROXX. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
9. "Kendrick Lamar: The West Coast Got Somethin' To Say". HipHopDX. January 6, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
10. Ducker, Eric (July 23, 2014). "A Rational Conversation: The Sound Of TDE's Success". NPR. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
11. "25 New Producers To Watch Out For". Complex. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
12. "10 Young Producers On the Rise". BET. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
13. "More Levels, The Brains Behind Top Dawg Entertainment [September 2012 Story] - XXL". XXL Mag. October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
14. "Kendrick Lamar Addresses Macklemore Text, Will Reportedly Release His New Album In September". Complex. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
15. Phillips, Yoh. "The Little Homies Have the Best Creative Vision in Rap". DJBooth. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
16. "Here's How Kendrick Lamar And Dave Free Became Super Duo 'The Little Homies'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
17. "Grammy Awards Winners: The Complete List". Variety. January 28, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
18. Berry, Peter A. (August 28, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar's 'Humble' Wins Best Hip-Hop at 2017 MTV Video Music Awards - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
19. Leight, Elias (October 4, 2019). "Dave Free Leaves Top Dawg Entertainment". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
20. Mamo, Heran (March 5, 2020). "Kendrick Lamar Announces Mysterious 'pgLang' Project: What Does It All Mean?". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
21. Holmes, Charles (March 5, 2020). "Kendrick Lamar Launches… Something (And Says It's Not a Record Label)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
22. Dunn, Frankie (January 14, 2021). "Kendrick Lamar's pgLang has collaborated with Calvin Klein". i-D. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
23. Inman, DeMicia (May 4, 2022). "A Closer Look At The "pgLang For Converse" Collaboration". VIBE.com. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
24. "Kendrick Lamar Links With Billionaire Ray Dalio for New pgLang-Produced Video Promoting Financial Literacy". Complex. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
25. 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. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
26. Tinoco, Armando (June 26, 2023). "BET Awards: SZA, Beyoncé Lead With Most Wins, Including Tying For Album Of The Year". Deadline. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
27. Grein, Paul (October 5, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Tops 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
28. Grein, Paul (September 7, 2023). "Cardi B & 21 Savage Lead Nominations for 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards: Full List". Billboard. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
29. Nudd, Tim (June 20, 2023). "Kendrick Lamar's short film 'We Cry Together' wins Film Craft Grand Prix at Cannes". Ad Age. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
30. "Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List". Variety. February 15, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
31. "Grammy 2018 Winners: Full List (Published 2018)". The New York Times. January 28, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
32. Nordyke, Kimberly; Thomas, Carly (February 6, 2023). "Grammy Awards: Complete List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
33. "Grammy Awards 2024: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 10, 2023. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
34. Conteh, Mankaprr (November 8, 2024). "'Not Like Us' Earning Five Grammy Nominations Is Nuts and Necessary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
35. Hooton, Christopher (August 31, 2015). "VMAs 2015: Taylor Swift and her buddy Kendrick Lamar clean-up at awards". The Independent. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
36. Lee, Benjamin (August 28, 2017). "MTV VMAs: Kendrick Lamar wins big in politically charged ceremony". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
37. Langston, Keith (August 29, 2022). "MTV VMAs winners: See the full list". EW.com. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
38. "Taylor Swift tops list of 2023 MTV Video Music Award nominations". CBS News. August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
39. 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. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
40. "Credits – Dave Free". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2024.