''OKE: Operation Kill Everything'' (simply known as ''OKE'') is the fourteenth

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

by American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

the Game, which was hosted by

DJ Skee Scott Keeney (born 15 November 1983), better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is an American artist, television host, radio personality, and entrepreneur. Skee rose to fame as the first DJ to discover and play superstar artists on the radio incl ...

. The mixtape was released on October 8, 2013, and serves as his first project since leaving the

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

, following the release of his fifth album '' Jesus Piece'' (2012). It was also released in promotion of his upcoming sixth studio album. The mixtape features

guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...

s from

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by his stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late ...

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...

Problem Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business an ...

Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...

Juicy J Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia, established ...

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...

Clyde Carson Nyle Kalin Parrish (born June 2, 1981), better known by his stage name Clyde Carson, is an American rapper. He formed the West Coast hip-hop trio the Team in 2001, with whom he has released four studio albums. After their third album ''World P ...

Skeme Lonnie Kimble (born January 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Kenne ...

Stat Quo Stanley Bernard Benton (born July 24, 1978), better known by his stage name Stat Quo, is an American rapper and record producer.Shaheem Reid (January 12, 2004).Mixtape Mondays: Stat Quo" ''MTV''. Accessed February 5, 2008. Benton worked his way ...

and

Ty Dolla $ign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...

; as well as the

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

provided by Cardiak,

DJ Mustard A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

SAP Sap is a fluid transported in the xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a s ...

and

Cool & Dre Cool & Dre are a record production and songwriting duo from North Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Antonio Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon. The duo were first discovered by New York rapper Fat Joe and began their career ...

, among others.

Background

In December 2012, the Game released '' Jesus Piece'', the final album on his contract with

. Just before its release he founded Rolex Records with

, which was later renamed The Firm. On May 7, 2013, the Game announced a new mixtape ''Operation Kill Everything'' was almost finished recording. Later that same day, the Game released a remix to

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...

's "

Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" edited for radio as "Trick, Don't Kill My Vibe" or simply "Don't Kill My Vibe", is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his major-label debut studio album ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'' (2012). The song, prod ...

", which was originally thought to be the first song from the album. Then on July 16, 2013, he released remixes to

Migos Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...

' "Versace" and

TeeFlii Christian Joel Jones (born July 17, 1987), better known by his stage name TeeFlii (stylized as TeeFLii), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer from South Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his 2014 single "24 ...

's " This D". On October 7, 2013, the Game released the cover artwork to the mixtape, the title which now just shortened to ''OKE''. He also revealed it would be released the following day. On October 8, 2013, the Game announced that he would premiere ''OKE'' later that night on

's SKEE TV on

AXS TV AXS TV () is an American cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musi ...

. The mixtape featured

s by

Diddy Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Diddy, and formerly Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, Combs worked as a ...

, Elijah Blake,

Shontelle Shontelle Delia Layne (born 4 October 1985), known mononymously as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer and songwriter. She released her debut album '' Shontelligence'' in 2008. Her second album, '' No Gravity'', was released in 2010. Her singles " ...

, Joe Moses,

Stacy Barthe Stacy Barthe (born July 19, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she began her musical career as an intern for Geffen Records, Geffen and Jive Records' urban contemporary, urban divisions from 2003 to 2005. Sh ...

Fred the Godson Frederick Thomas (February 22, 1985 – April 23, 2020), known as Fred the Godson, was an American DJ and rapper. He was the first high-profile hip hop personality to have died from COVID-19 in April 2020; the early stages of the pandemic. Earl ...

, Sam Hook, K. Roosevelt and Ty$.

Production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

on the mixtape was handled by

Cardiak Carl McCormick (born June 26, 1988), professionally known as Cardiak, is an American record producer. He began producing music in 2008. He has produced music for numerous artists, including Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Ryan Leslie, Rick Ross, ...

, and

among others. Two days after its free release, the Game released a deluxe edition of ''OKE'' to

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

, featuring two bonus tracks, including "Hollywood" a song with

Scarface Scarface may refer to: Gangster-related * Scarface, nickname for Al Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster and a businessman. * ''Scarface'' (novel), a novel by Armitage Trail, loosely based on Capone's rise to power ** ''Scarface'' (1932 ...

. The deluxe edition is free of DJ drops and tags, and includes a digital booklet. In the song, the Game takes shot at former

G-Unit G-Unit (short for Guerilla-Unit). was an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Lloyd Banks. After amassing a string of self-released mixtapes in the early 2000s, the group released ...

cohort

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

saying, "Hub City thugs wit me, buck 50/Reunite with G-Unit, bitch fuck 50."

Critical reception

''OKE'' was met with generally positive reviews from

music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...

s. Jake Rohn of

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

gave the mixtape a perfect score, saying "''OKE'' is one of his best efforts, album or mixtape. While Game's lyrics are still laced with the angst of feeling slept on, the imposing rhymer shows more willingness to step ever-so-slightly outside his comfort zone, showcasing different tempos and rocking different sounding beats. Game may not be rollin' with

Dre DRE may refer to: * ''Dre'' (album), 2010 by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, 2010 * Dre (given name) **Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, recor ...

anymore, but he shows that he can still drop a classic." Louis Johnson of ''

The Badger Herald ''The Badger Herald'' is a newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin–Madison community, founded in 1969. The paper is published Monday through Friday during the academic year and occasionally during the summer. Available at newsstands acros ...

'' also gave the mixtape a perfect score, saying "Overall, ''OKE'' combines refreshing instrumentals with classic Game: taking shots at anyone and everyone yet staying original and proactive in his lyrical content. This may be his most focused piece of work since his debut album, ''

The Documentary ''The Documentary'' is the debut studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on January 18, 2005, by Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, and Interscope Records. The record serves as his major-label debut, preceded by his i ...

''. Game truly stepped up to the plate this time." Omar Burgress of

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of Hip hop music, hip hop music criticism and news. ''HipHopDX'' has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath C ...

deemed the mixtape "EP-worthy" saying, "On ''OKE: Operation Kill Everything'', Game is comfortable in his own skin, mixing ratchet material with deeply personal songs all while accommodating his guests." '' XXL'' gave the mixtape a more mixed review saying, "There’s a duality that plays out over the course of the tape that very accurately showcases two extraordinarily different sides of the current West Coast scene. On the one hand, you have the super soulful, rich production more representative of acts like

Jake One Jacob Brian Dutton (born May 11, 1976), known professionally as Jake One, is an American record producer and songwriter.Palermo, Thomas (2008)Jake One Readies New Album, XLR8R, September 5, 2008Matos, Michaelangelo (2004)Rocketship Blowing Up", ...

, THC,

Scoop DeVille Elijah Blue Molina (born October 15, 1987), better known by his stage name Scoop DeVille, is an American record producer, rapper and DJ. DeVille has produced singles and albums for hip hop artists including Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, N ...

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), known professionally as DJ Dahi or simply Dahi, is an American record producer, songwriter, disc jockey and singer from Inglewood, California. Working primarily in hip hop and R&B music, he has been ...

and

the Futuristiks Mike & Keys (formerly known as The Futuristiks) are an American hip hop production and songwriting duo from Los Angeles, California that consists of Money Mike (born Michael Ray Cox, Jr.) and J-Keys (born John Groover). History J-Keys, born i ...

, and on the other hand you have what producer DJ Mustard has affectionately coined “ratchet music.” Both make up solid chunks of the project, but only one finds Game truly in his element. The smooth soul serves as a perfect juxtaposition with Game’s gruff voice and aggressive content, and he flourishes in these instances. But just as you start to settle in, the entire tone of the project changes, and it detracts from the fluidity and the aesthetic value. Experimentation is fine, but sometimes it’s better to stick to your niche."

Commercial performance

The deluxe edition version of the mixtape debuted at number 89 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 5,000 copies in the United States.

Track listing

Chart positions

References

{{Game (rapper) 2013 mixtape albums Albums produced by Cool & Dre Albums produced by Sap (producer) Albums produced by Mustard (record producer) The Game (rapper) albums