On “Father Time,” Kendrick concerns himself with his daddy issues, while the title refers to time personified, usually as an older man with a scythe or an hourglass.

Kendrick explores the long-ingrained, toxic masculinity that is passed on from generation to generation, sometimes actively by a father who is present, and other times through the absence of a father figure. A momentous theme on this project, Lamar goes in depth about his struggles with mental health, opening the song with a short sketch where his partner, Whitney Alford, tells him to seek counseling from Eckhart Tolle. He goes on to cite “daddy issues” as a reason for gang culture among young Black men in the broader community.