Rapper Kendrick Lamar has confirmed his recent engagement to model Whitney Alford, insisting he wanted to "honor" her commitment to him after dating for 10 years.

The Poetic Justice star, 27, was rumored to have proposed to his high school sweetheart last month (Mar15) after she was spotted wearing a large diamond on her ring finger while supporting her man at a meet and greet session with fans in his native Compton, California.

Lamar has now opened up about his relationship after he was asked directly about the engagement news during an interview on New York City radio show The Breakfast Club.

He replied, "Yeah, yeah, definitely (we're engaged)... I'm loyal to the soil."

He continued, "At the end of the day, you want to always, always have real people around you, period. Whether it's male or female, and everybody that's been around me, they've been around since day one...

"I always show respect when respect has been given, and people that have been by your side, you're supposed to honor that."

Lamar previously gushed about Alford to Billboard magazine, saying, "I wouldn't even call her my girl. 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."