As Kendrick Lamar returns to the Super Bowl stage, one person in particular who’ll be cheering him on is his fiancée Whitney Alford. With last year’s Super Bowl being watched by an average of 123.4 million people in the US, performing at the event is something many artists aspire to - though Kendrick is no stranger to the iconic stage. Back in 2022, the Humble hitmaker joined the likes of Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige and Dr Dre for a 14-minute set that was bursting with hits. But now Kendrick, 37, is headlining the halftime as the main act.
Having released his first album back in 2011, his fiancée Whitney has been by his side every step of the way. The pair, who share two children, met at high school in Compton, California. After becoming friends, Kendrick and Whitney later became a couple as teens. “Everybody that's been around me has been around since Day 1 and I can't change that. I don't change for nobody,” the musician told Power 105.1. “People that have been by your side - you're supposed to honour that.”.
Meanwhile, during an interview with New York Times Magazine in 2014, Kendrick was asked which influential person on his phone had “the power to call him out”. Describing his response, the journalist of the piece wrote: “his answer was immediate: 'One particular young lady,' he said, referring to Alford. ‘She's been here since Day 1.’”. One year later, he revealed that he’d got engaged as he responded to rumours of a proposal. He also gushed over Whitney, calling her his “best friend” during a heartwarming interview with Billboard.
“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.”. With more than 170,000 followers on Instagram, Whitney has opened up about feeling “grateful” to have her husband in her life. To mark Father’s Day in 2022, the mum-of-two celebrated the men in her life.
“Happy Father’s Day fellas! 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. Throughout Kendrick’s chart-topping career, Whitney has not only provided emotional support and love - but she’s provided support on his songs too. In 2015, she was credited on the album To Pimp a Butterfly after providing backing vocals on the tracks King Kunta and Wesley's Theory.
She also appeared in the music video for Not Like Us - Kendrick’s 'diss track' - and received a shout out from her beau at this year’s Grammys after he scooped Song of the Year. “Whitney in the video crip walking,” Kendrick said as he collected his award. “We gon’ dedicate that one.”. In between juggling her busy lifestyle as a mum to two youngsters, Whitney is the founder of the LA-based non-profit organisation, Love + Ethos. According to its website, the organisation aims to create “supportive spaces and opportunities for women journeying through motherhood while facing systemic, economic, and social challenges.”.
Explaining her mission, a statement on the website read: “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.”. It added: “The challenge for me has been how to utilise my own opportunities in an impactful way. I hope to be an asset to my community through my work with Love + Ethos.”.
