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

Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind iconic tracks like the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he was not credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of the DK Rap. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo made a strategic decision not to credit composers for any music it owns, which unfortunately included the DK Rap.

Kirkhope explained, "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." He further noted that an exception was initially made for songs with vocals, which should have included the DK Rap. However, Nintendo ultimately decided not to credit composers for any music they owned, effectively excluding Kirkhope from the credits.

Expressing his disappointment, Kirkhope recounted the moment the credits rolled in the theater, saying, "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 publicly shared his frustration on social media, posting, "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, were not credited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper credits for their composers and performers. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap in the movie as "bizarre," likening it to simply plugging in an N64 and looping the track. Despite his contributions on guitar and the vocal parts performed by the "lads from Rare," none of them were acknowledged in the credits.

When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope expressed uncertainty, stating, "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."

As noted by Eurogamer, Donkey Kong 64 is currently absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, though elements like the Rambi theme might appear in the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on a potential new Banjo Kazooie and the sound of nostalgia, you can read the full interview on Eurogamer.

Meanwhile, the Mario movie franchise continues to expand, with a new Super Mario Bros. movie set to release in April 2026.