Kendrick Lamar Explains How His Children Helped Him Understand “Unconditional Love”

In a rare interview with W Magazine, Kendrick Lamar is opening up about how his children have changed him for the better.

The “Humble” rapper sat with W Magazine for an exclusive cover story, explaining his love for his two kids with longtime partner Whitney Alford. Lamar says seeing his children grow has shown him the importance of allowing them to be independent individuals.

“Will I allow them to be themselves? Will I allow them to journey off in the world and experience life for what they know of? That’s love to me,” he shared.

The couple shares a three-year-old and infant together, which they showed a glimpse of on Lamar’s recent album cover for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. 

Elsewhere in the interview, he also discussed the idea of unconditional love and admitted that accepting his kids and their blossoming personalities has allowed him to be nonjudgmental of other people he encounters.

“A lot of times, we play with the idea and don’t necessarily know if it’s real until you feel it. My children allowed me, in their development as human beings beginning to walk and talk, to remove my ego, to know that my children, too, will have their own independence,” he said. “That allows me to understand the unconditional love on my end—will I allow them to be themselves? Will I allow them to journey off in the world and experience life for what they know of? That’s love, to me. And when I look at that, I try to apply it with how I express myself, how I look at my career, and how I meet other individuals. Am I allowing them to be themselves without any judgment? My children have taught me that.”

Despite the recent profile, Lamar has only shown the world a peek into his family life. He and Alford have remained tight-lipped about the inner workings of their relationship for most of their time in the industry. Alford is a singer who even lent her vocals to the background on Lamar’s records “King Kunta” and “Wesley’s Theory.” She can also be heard narrating his records “Mother I Sober” and “Father Time.” Despite being active in her childhood sweetheart’s career, the mother of two has shied away from the spotlight. After revealing that they’d welcomed another child recently, neither Alford nor Lamar has confirmed the gender or name of their beautiful baby.