Dave Free Reveals The Meaning Behind His & Kendrick Lamar's pgLang

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 202215.6K Views

Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free accept the Video of the Year award for 'Humble' onstage during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 27, 2017 in Inglewood, California.

Dave Free finally reveals the meaning behind pgLang.

We're weeks away from the release of Kendrick Lamar's forthcoming album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. The rapper's new project will not only mark his final release under Top Dawg Entertainment but it will also be his first solo album under pgLang, the new company that he founded alongside Dave Free.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Since its inception, there has been plenty of mystery surrounding its multi-disciplinary media company, and there are a few questions that have been left unanswered. For one, the significance of the name. No one really understood exactly what pgLang stood for until Dave Free came through to clear up the speculation.

Free shared on Twitter that the company's name actually means, "Program Language."

"pgLang / program language," he tweeted. "pg is the operating system; bring your files, let's work co-developers."

This echoes the company's mission statement released on its website. The purpose of pgLang is described as "something deeply personal" to Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free in helping artists bring their work to the masses.

"pgLang is at service to creators and projects that selflessly speak with, and for, the shared experiences that connect us all…In this overstimulated time, we are focused on cultivating raw expression from grassroots partnerships.”

Kendrick Lamar's forthcoming album, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers is due out on May 13th. Today, pgLang released Tanna Leone's new album, Sleepy Soldier.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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