Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind the iconic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, has shared his disappointment over not being credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope explained that Nintendo decided not to credit any music it owns, including the DK Rap, despite its use in the film.
Kirkhope recounted his conversation with Nintendo, stating, "They said we decided that any music that was quoted from the games that we owned, we wouldn't credit the composers - apart from Koji Kondo. Then they decided anything with a vocal would get credited, so the DK Rap scores there. But then they decided if we also own it, we won't credit the composers. And that was the final nail in the coffin."
He expressed frustration over the policy, noting the credits roll when theaters are empty, making the recognition almost meaningless. Kirkhope shared his sentiments on social media in 2023, tweeting, "I was really looking forward to see my name in the credits for the DK Rap, but alas as expected it's not there ........ fml."
While other Nintendo-owned music like Bowser's Fury also went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper credits. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap as "bizarre," suggesting it was directly taken from the N64 game and looped. Despite his contributions on guitar and the vocal parts by the "lads from Rare," none were acknowledged in the movie credits.
When asked about the possibility of the DK Rap appearing on the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope was uncertain, noting, "They have put some of [David Wise]'s stuff on it. They do own it all so it's up to them. I don't think they ever really liked [Donkey Kong 64] that much. That's a rumour we got back through the cycle of whispers from Nintendo when we were at Rare. I don't know if that's true or not."
Interestingly, while Donkey Kong 64 is not part of the N64 Switch Online lineup, elements like the Rambi theme may feature in the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on potential new projects like Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Bananza, readers can check out the full interview on Eurogamer.
Meanwhile, the Super Mario Bros. franchise continues to expand, with a new movie set to release in April 2026.
