DK Rap Composer Reveals Lack of Credit in Super Mario Bros. Movie

Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind classics like Donkey Kong 64, recently shared insights on why he was not credited for the DK Rap in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a conversation with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo made a strategic decision not to credit composers for music they own, which unfortunately included the DK Rap.

"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," Kirkhope explained. "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."

Kirkhope expressed his disappointment, noting the futility of credits appearing so late in the film that audiences typically leave before seeing them. "I said I appreciate you've got your policies and all the rest of it, but by the time the credits roll in the movie to show the songs, the theatre's completely empty, everyone's gone, it's only me and my wife and my two kids sat there going 'look daddy's name!'. I said 'for the sake of a couple of lines of text…', but that was that," he lamented.

In 2023, Kirkhope took to social media to voice his frustration, 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 tracks like Bowser's Fury also went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film were properly acknowledged. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap as "bizarre," akin to simply plugging in an N64 and looping the sound. Despite his contributions, including playing guitar on the track, and the involvement of the "lads from Rare" who performed the iconic "D-K" part, none were credited.

When asked about the possibility of the DK Rap appearing on the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope was uncertain but noted that Nintendo has included other works by David Wise. "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," he remarked.

Interestingly, Donkey Kong 64 is absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, though elements like the Rambi theme are expected in Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on potential new projects like Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Bananza, you can read the full interview on Eurogamer.

Meanwhile, the Mario cinematic universe continues to expand, with a new Super Mario Bros. movie slated for release in April 2026.