Kendrick Lamar and his partner Dave Free have signed LA-based artist Tanna Leone to their multidisciplanary imprint pgLang.
Leone, 24, will also be a part of Def Jam Records through a joint deal that welcomes Lamar’s pgLang roster.
“As an artist I want to represent disrupting the status quo, push people to focus on their growth as humans, and to be a voice for the voiceless through my artistry,” Leone said in a statement regarding his record deal.
Leone is the second artist to be added to Lamar’s upstart company, joining Grammy nominated rapper Baby Keem. Fans will get to see Leone perform on Keem’s “The Melodic Blue” Tour — which will make stops in 28 cities across the country.
“We’re excited to welcome Tanna Leone and pgLang to the Def Jam family as valued partners,” said Tunji Balogun, chairman and CEO of Def Jam Recordings. “I’m lucky to have been able to connect with Kendrick and Dave during the early stages of my career as friends and collaborators, and I’m thrilled to be able to extend that relationship here at Def Jam. Tanna is a dynamic and multi-talented new voice and we’re honored to be a part of his development and success.”
“Tanna is a rare opportunity to disrupt. We’re excited to partner with my young n*gga,” added Free.
Lamar and Free, the former president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), co-founded pgLang in March 2020.
With a cryptic tweet shared by Kendrick and a subsequent ambiguous visual starring Baby Keem and K Dot, the creative services company was introduced to the world. The brand further explained its mission in a statement when it launched in 2020.
“Our community speaks music, film, television, art, books, and podcasts – because sometimes we have to use different languages to get the point of our stories across. Stories that speak to many nations, many races, and many ages. That is why our writers, singers, directors, musicians, and producers break formats when we build ideas and make them real for the curious,” it read.
Leone looks to help pgLang continue to establish its footing in the hip hop realm. He’s dropped off two new tracks — “Lucky” and “With The Villains” — along with a music video for the latter.
The video for his Leone’s single “With The Villains” was directed by Neal Farmer and is described as a film noir encompassing a block chase, a VR strip show, and scenes in a tattoo parlor.
Check out “Lucky” and “With The Villains” below: