Kendrick Lamar is arguably the biggest rapper of his generation. While his contribution to the music industry is widely known, his personal life—particularly his relationship with high school sweetheart, Whitney Alford—is less public. The two have been together for decades and now share two children: daughter Uzi and son Enoch. Lamar confirmed his engagement to Alford during a 2015 interview on The Breakfast Club. “Yeah, definitely,” he said at the time. “I’m loyal to the soil.”
Ahead, we break down everything to know about Alford.
They met in high school.
Lamar and Alford’s love story started when they were students at Centennial High School in Compton, California.
Lamar previously reflected on Alford’s nearly lifelong influence on him in a 2014 interview with the New York Times. “[She’s] one particular young lady. She’s been here since Day 1,” he said.
They’ve made few public appearances together.
The couple clearly values their privacy. Despite being together for decades, the two have only made a handful of joint public appearances throughout the course of Lamar’s music career.
Their first public appearance was in 2014, when Alford accompanied Lamar to the 56th Grammys and they walked the red carpet together.
She runs a nonprofit.
Alford founded Love + Ethos, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization focused on creating “supportive spaces and opportunities for women journeying through motherhood while facing systemic, economic, and social challenges,” according to its website.
In a statement shared on the website, Alford explained her mission. “Much of my career has encompassed helping women to feel seen, heard, and appreciated. I’ve recently acknowledged how this work comes from a place, deep within my lineage, with generations of women helping women and raising families together,” she said. “The challenge for me has been how to utilize my own opportunities in an impactful way. I hope to be an asset to my community through my work with Love + Ethos.”
They’re parents.
Lamar and Alford tend to keep their children—daughter Uzi and son Enoch—out of the public spotlight. However, Lamar did surprise fans when he had Alford, Uzi, and Enoch appear on the cover of his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, which dropped in 2022.
That same year, Alford shared a rare family portrait of the foursome on Instagram to celebrate Father’s Day.
“Today I am more than happy to celebrate the men in my 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 in the post caption. “I was almost 30 the first time I celebrated Father’s Day and it’s still one of the hardest for me. I know there are many women like me. So men it’s not as important for us to celebrate you, as it is for You to celebrate You. Celebrate your contribution to the next generation. I am grateful for the men that are showing me a different picture, my lens was very narrow before but not anymore.” She ended the note with a direct shoutout to Lamar: “Happy Father’s Day @kendricklamar 🤍.”
Kendrick calls Whitney his “best friend.”
In a 2015 interview with Billboard, the rapper opened up about his deep bond with Alford.
“I wouldn’t even call her my girl,” he told the outlet. “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.”
