Kendrick Lamar likes to keep his personal life separate from his rap career, but that doesn’t stop those two worlds from often colliding. After gracing Lamar’s album cover in 2022 and being thrown into the middle of his rap beef with Drake, Lamar’s fiancé, Whitney Alford, has the world wanting to know more about her.

She’s not very active online, but recently, the Los Angeles native has opened up to the public about her life as a mother and a business woman. Lamar previously said she’s been with him since day one, so The Root is taking a deeper dive into her world and exactly how she fits in Kendrick’s.

From High School to Long Time Sweethearts

Alford and Lamar met when they were students at Centennial High School in Compton, according to Town and Country Magazine. The pair reportedly graduated in 2005 and have been locked in ever since.

As Lamar began paving his own career, his then girlfriend graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Around 2015, the pair got engaged, Lamar confirmed in an interview. As of 2025, it’s unclear if they officially tied the knot. Either way, Lamar and Alford have created a beautiful family with their two children, a daughter named Uzi and a son named Enoch, according to PEOPLE.

Surprise Talent as a Background Singer

Alford is more involved in Lamar’s creative process than it seems. She’s provided background vocals on several songs from the Compton star including “King Kunta” and “Father Time.”

Alford also graced the cover of his fifth studio album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” which is said to be K. Dot’s most introspective project to date. Matter of fact, Lamar’s fiancé and their two children are featured on the album cover. After the release of “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Alford began showing the world a little more about her personal life with her man.

On Instagram, she’s previously posted a Father’s day tribute to Lamar, writing “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.”

Rap Beef Brings Whitney into the Spotlight

During the height of Lamar’s beef with Drake, things took a turn when the Canadian rapper brought Alford into the mix. Drake even alleged Lamar’s fiancé was cheating on him on the track “Push Ups.” Lamar responded with “Eurphoria” where he basically threatened Drake’s whole family rapping “Talk about me and my family, crodie? / Someone gon’ bleed in your family, crodie.”

“Not like us” music video, Kendrick Lamar’s wife Crip walk

But all the suspicion surrounding the Compton couple’s relationship died down when she made a surprise cameo in the “Not Like Us” music video. Alford’s crip- walking moment confirmed the couple as a unit amid speculations that there was trouble in paradise. Months later, when Lamar would clean up big time at the Grammys, he gave his fiancé a shoutout on stage saying “Whitney in the video crip-walking. We gon’ dedicate that one.”

What Whitney’s ‘Love + Ethos’ Means to Her

When she’s not singing back up or holding down the household, Alford is an advocate for women. She has her own non-profit called “Love + Ethos” based in L.A. The organization focuses on creating “supportive spaces and opportunities for women journeying through motherhood while facing systemic, economic, and social challenges,” according to its website.

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“There’s so much opportunity to empower women and yet we are often the first to be overlooked, especially if you’re a minority,” Alford 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.”