Who Is Kendrick Lamar's Fiancée? All About Whitney Alford

Seventeen-time Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is famous for his revealing and introspective lyrics. But when it comes to discussing his private life outside of his tracks, the rapper is much more reserved.

Lamar has been linked to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, for decades. The pair have been an item since they were teenagers, and they now share two children — their daughter, Uzi, and their son, Enoch.

Since the release of Lamar's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Alford has started to share more of her life with Lamar and their little ones on social media.

In February 2023, she posted a sweet video of her daughter watching Lamar accept an award at the Grammy Awards. The "Count Me Out" rapper mentioned "family" in his acceptance speech and Uzi said: "Daddy! He's talking about us! He's talking about us. He's talking about his family … Uzi and Enoch and mommy."

So, who is the rapper's longtime love? Here's everything to know about Kendrick Lamar's fiancée, Whitney Alford.

She and Lamar have been together since they were teenagers

Lamar and Alford met as students of Centennial High School in their hometown of Compton, California, in southern Los Angeles. They were friends first before they became a couple, and have been together ever since.

"Everybody that's been around me has been around since Day 1 and I can't change that. I don't change for nobody," Lamar said in an interview on Power 105.1. "People that have been by your side — you're supposed to honor that."

She and Lamar are notoriously private

The couple's first public appearance was in 2014, when they made their red carpet debut at the Grammy Awards. The pair have kept many details of their romance private, but Lamar has been rapping about her since the beginning of his career, when he released the EP Kendrick Lamar in 2009, with songs like "She Needs Me" and "Determined." On them, there are lyrics about a woman who completes him, who's described as a powerful and encouraging force in his life.

"When I asked Lamar, out of all the influential people on his speed dial, who in his life has the power to call him out," Lizzy Goodman wrote in a 2014 New York Times Magazine profile, "his answer was immediate: 'One particular young lady,' he said, referring to Alford. 'She's been here since Day 1.' "

They appeared together on Lamar's album cover with their two children

In April 2022, Lamar announced that he'd be releasing his long-awaited fifth album after a five-year music hiatus. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers dropped the following month and fans were surprised to see a rare glimpse into the rapper's personal life via the album cover.

Lamar unveiled the cover on Instagram on May 11, which features him and Alford as well as their toddler daughter, who was reportedly born in July 2019. Neither Lamar nor Alford have spoken publicly about her arrival or revealed the child's name. The cover art also shows Alford holding an infant, seemingly confirming that the couple had welcomed another child. While they have not spoken about the second child publicly either, Alford posted a family photo for Father's Day 2022 honoring the men in her life.

"I choose to celebrate them for stepping up instead of stepping out, for providing, for assisting us women, for healing, for showing up physically and most importantly for showing up emotionally," she wrote, concluding her heartfelt caption with, "Happy Father's Day @kendricklamar."

They got engaged in 2015

Lamar confirmed that he had proposed to his high school sweetheart during a 2015 interview on Power 105.1. That same year, Lamar released his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly. Ahead of the album's release, he sat down for an interview with Billboard and mentioned Alford.

"I wouldn't even call her my girl," he said. "That's my best friend. I don't even like the term that society has put in the world as far as being a companion — she's somebody I can tell my fears to."

Later, in 2018, Alford posted a photo of herself on Instagram with her diamond engagement ring on full display.

She makes appearances on Lamar's albums

Alford was credited on 2015's To Pimp a Butterfly for providing backup vocals for "King Kunta" and "Wesley's Theory."

Lamar has used his family's voices in his songs on several occasions, including that of his mother and father. On his latest album, Alford's voice appears on four tracks, including "Mother I Sober" and "Father Time."

She's not very active on social media

Even though she has more than 52,000 Instagram followers, Alford isn't very active on the platform. Before returning to the site to post the cover of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers on May 11, 2022, she hadn't posted anything since October 2018.

However, since the release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Alford has been a bit more active on Instagram. Alongside a photo of herself holding her younger child, the mother of two got candid about her mental health journey and her children, writing, "I was stuck in a time and place that was no longer my reality and was no longer serving me. My babies forced me to take a long look at myself and journey back through the very things that made me."

She continued, "Then I was referred to a great therapist. After a few years of hard work, I can finally say I hear my own voice again. And it's very powerful."

In December 2022, Alford reflected on the year and shared a few behind-the-scenes images of her and Lamar from his music video shoot for "Count Me Out."

"Thank God for always carrying me," she captioned the post on Instagram. "Grateful for the courage I found to show up for Me. I pushed through the work on my internal self for the greater good of my family but I have benefited most. I brought every version of myself along on this trip and it has been a ride!"

Alford continued: "The year has been both brutal and beautiful and I definitely see light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually I will share some of the ways I've processed life to make everyday that much better. Also, a hand clap for myself for being brave enough to step foot in front of a camera at 4 months postpartum!"

Drake rapped about her in a diss track

Drake and Lamar (and a few other rappers) are feuding — and they've been trading diss tracks back and forth since October 2023. However, things took a turn in April 2024 when Drake's track "Push Ups" seemingly alleged that Alford cheated on Lamar.

The rapper responded with "Euphoria" and seemingly threatened Drake's family when he said: "Talk about me and my family, crodie? / Someone gon’ bleed in your family, crodie."

She appeared in Lamar's music video for "Not Like Us"

Alford made a cameo in Lamar's music video for "Not Like Us" — a Drake diss track that dropped in May 2024. During her brief appearance, Alford could be seen dancing in a living room with Lamar and their two children as he rapped: "Family matter and the truth of the matter/ It was God's plan to show y'all the liar."