Award-winning rappers Kendrick Lamar and Whitney Alford have been in each other’s lives for decades. They started out as childhood friends in Compton, California, then became high school sweethearts. They are still together and currently engaged with two children.
In April 2015, Lamar confirmed the engagement in an interview with Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club. “Yeah, definitely (we’re engaged),” he said, according to E! “I am true to the soil.”
He also described Alford as “someone you can confide your insecurities to” in a January 2015 interview with Billboard.
Lamar has referenced their relationship in his music from time to time during his career. But couples generally keep their personal lives very private.
Going forward, everything we know about Lamar and Alford’s love story will be revealed, including details about their engagement and family life.
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Alford and Lamar were high school sweethearts.
Alford and Lamar’s relationship began in their mutual hometown of Compton, California, where they both attended Centennial High School and began dating. According to People magazine, they were friends before their relationship turned romantic.
The two confirmed their engagement in 2015.
In April 2015, Lamar confirmed the engagement news in an interview with The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1. He referred to their history and called himself “true to the soil.”
“Everyone around me has been with me since day one. I can’t change that. I wouldn’t change for anyone,” Lamar said. “The people who were on your side, you should respect that,” he added.
A few months later, Alford was seen wearing her engagement ring in public at the BET Awards.
They made their first public appearance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
Alford and Lamar made their public debut at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Lamar was nominated for seven awards that year and won his first two Grammy Awards, for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Lamar also made his debut on the awards stage with a performance with Imagine Dragons.
Lamar and Alford are the parents of two children.
Alford and Lamar welcomed their first child, daughter Uzi, in July 2019, but the couple did not announce her birth publicly. Instead, Lamar revealed her name on his 2022 album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. In the song “Mr. Morale,” Lamar rapped, “Uzi, your dad is in deep meditation.”
Their second child, a son named Enoch, was introduced through the same album’s cover image. Lamar appears to be holding Uzi while Alford is cradling his young son in the background. Lamar also revealed Enoch’s name through the lyrics of “Mr. Morale.” He rapped, “Enoch, your dad just got detoxed.” In the song “Worldwide Steppers,” Lamar described his son as “Part 2.”
In October 2022, Lamar spoke to W Magazine about how transformative fatherhood was. “As my children grew up as human beings, walking and talking, it took away my ego and let me know that my children had independence too,” Lamar said. “It allows me to understand the unconditional love on my side. Do I allow them to be who they are? Do I allow them to go out into the world and experience life for what they know? That’s love to me.”
In June of that year, Alford shared a photo of Lamar and his son on Father’s Day on Instagram.
She wrote about her gratitude for having more men in her life show up for her children, including Lamar. “In my life, I have seen the vast majority of fathers running away from their responsibilities,” she began. “The first time I celebrated Father’s Day was when I was almost 30 years old, and it’s still one of the hardest days for me. I know there are a lot of women like me. So, men, it’s important for us to celebrate you as much as you celebrate yourself. No need. Congratulations on your contribution to the next generation. My lens used to be so narrow, but it’s not anymore. I love you and keep showing up. Happy Father’s Day” @kendricklamar🤍”
Alford has contributed to Lamar’s music.
Alford played an important role in Lamar’s creative journey. GQ reported that she provided background vocals on two songs from Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, “King Kunta” and “Wesley’s Theory.” Recently, her voice has been featured on four songs by Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, including “Mother I Sober.” In the song, Alford can be heard encouraging Lamar, saying, “You did it, I’m proud of you. You broke a generational curse.”
Alford and his children also appeared in Lamar’s 2024 music video for “Not Like Us.” The black-and-white video shows Lamar, Alford and their children dancing in the living room.
Alford founded a nonprofit organization.
Alford is the founder of Love and Ethos, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that supports mothers “facing systemic, economic and social challenges,” the organization’s website says. Its vision is “a world in which every woman and her family can define their personal and collective future on their own terms.”
Alford’s personal experience inspired him to found the organization.
“As women, we are often the first to be ignored, especially if we are a minority,” Alford wrote on the nonprofit’s website. “I want to be an asset to the community through my work at Love + Ethos.”
Alford is an esthetician and makeup artist. Us Weekly reported that she started a beauty business in Los Angeles and graduated from California State University, Long Beach.
Alford and Lamar have kept their relationship relatively private.
Despite Lamar’s fame, the couple has kept their love story and family largely out of the spotlight.
But Lamar spoke of his deep respect for Alford. In a 2015 interview with Billboard, Lamar said Alford was more than just a romantic partner to him. “I don’t want to call her my girlfriend,” he said. “That’s my best friend.”
When Vanity Fair asked in a 2018 interview if there was a reason Lamar didn’t talk much about Alford, he replied, “I want something that’s just me.”
In recent years, Alford has provided a rare glimpse into her family life through Instagram.
In August 2024, she shared a photo of herself with her children. She captioned the post, “I thank God for every day I have the opportunity to experience life (even the days I say ‘this is it’)…love me.” I love my family…I’m grateful for the opportunity to relax with my babies and be their mama. I’m learning to see life the way they see it (even though mine seems a little skewed). They are the inspiration behind the work I do through Love + Ethos (my newborn baby). ” I’m excited to heal more and write the next chapter in my life’s book ✌🏽. ”
Lamar gave a shoutout to Alford during his Song of the Year speech at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Lamar briefly mentioned his fiancée when he accepted the Grammy Song of the Year award for “Not Like Us” at the 2025 ceremony. He referenced her cameo in the music video, saying, “Whitney is walking in the video clip. I’m going to dedicate that to[her].”
Although Lamar won five Grammy Awards, Alford was not photographed attending any events with him.
In January 2026, Alford shared a rare glimpse into her family life on Instagram.
On Jan. 10, Alford posted a merry-go-round that included a candid moment with the couple’s children.
The post featured photos of the children playfully posing, and Alford also posted a clip of her and her daughter putting on makeup.
In the caption, she wrote, “No matter how much she changes, I will always remember that she is just a girl finding her way. And I see so much of her in them and am happy to be present in every moment of it!”
