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

Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind classics like Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he wasn't credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the iconic DK Rap. In a detailed interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo chose not to credit composers for any music it owns, except for Koji Kondo. This policy extended to songs with vocals, which initially seemed to favor the DK Rap, but ultimately, the fact that Nintendo owned the rights led to Kirkhope's exclusion from the credits.

Kirkhope expressed his disappointment, noting the minimal impact a few lines of text would have had: "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."

In 2023, Kirkhope took to social media to voice his frustration: "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."

Interestingly, while the DK Rap and another Nintendo-owned song, Bowser's Fury, went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper acknowledgment for their composers and performers. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap as "bizarre," likening it to a simple process of plugging in an N64 and looping the track. Despite his contributions on guitar and the vocal parts by the "lads from Rare," none were credited.

When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope speculated that it could happen, given Nintendo's ownership of the rights. However, he mentioned a rumor from his time at Rare that Nintendo was not particularly fond of Donkey Kong 64, which might influence such decisions.

Eurogamer also noted that Donkey Kong 64 is absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, though elements like the Rambi theme appear to be slated for inclusion in Donkey Kong Bananza. Kirkhope's full interview with Eurogamer delves into other topics, including the possibility of a new Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the essence of nostalgia in gaming.

Meanwhile, the Mario movie franchise is moving forward, with a new Super Mario Bros. movie set to release in April 2026.