Dave Free Departs From Top Dawg Entertainment: Report

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20227.2K Views

Dave Meyers, Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free pose with Video of the Year, Best Hip Hop, Best Cinematography, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects for 'Humble' in the press room during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 27, 2017 in Inglewood,

TDE's former president, Dave Free, has reportedly been working on his own endeavors.

Top Dawg Entertainment became one of the biggest labels in hip-hop. Platinum records, chart-topping albums, and singles, as well as countless accolades, the entire conglomerate, especially those working behind the scenes, helped turn TDE into a behemoth of a label over the past decade.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

One of the key figures in helping bring the label to what it is today is reportedly not with the company anymore. According to a report from Rolling Stone, Dave Free is no longer the president of Top Dawg Entertainment. "Two insiders with knowledge of the move who spoke on the condition of anonymity" revealed the news to the publication.

The sources said that he's been working on his own for the past few months, specifically in helping Baby Keem who is a few months removed from the release off his album, Die For My Bitch which arrived in July. Last year, he revealed in an interview with Vibe that he was going to get deeper into the film game.

On top of being the president for the company, Dave Free was also an in-house producer for the label. Free was also the person who brought Kendrick Lamar's music to Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, the label's CEO, while working as a computer technician. From there, Free's been riding with Kendrick and TDE to their rise to the top.

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.