DK Rap Composer Reveals Reason for 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 for the use of the DK Rap in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo made a deliberate choice not to credit composers for music they own, which unfortunately included the DK Rap.

Kirkhope explained that Nintendo's policy initially excluded credits for any music quoted from their games, except for Koji Kondo's contributions. However, the policy evolved to include credits for songs with vocals, which should have covered the DK Rap. Yet, a final decision was made not to credit composers if Nintendo owned the music, effectively excluding Kirkhope's name from the credits.

Expressing his disappointment, Kirkhope noted the irony of the situation: "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!'." He lamented the minimal effort it would have taken to include his name, stating, "for the sake of a couple of lines of text…".

Kirkhope's frustration was evident in a 2023 social media post where he shared, "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." The DK Rap, which Kirkhope contributed to by playing guitar and working with the "lads from Rare" on the vocals, was sampled in a way Kirkhope described as "bizarre," akin to simply "plugging in the N64 and sampling it and looping it."

While other Nintendo-owned tracks like Bowser's Fury were also uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper recognition for their composers and performers. The conversation also touched on the possibility of the DK Rap being added to the Nintendo Music App, with Kirkhope expressing uncertainty about Nintendo's affection for Donkey Kong 64, hinting at rumors of Nintendo's lukewarm reception to the game during its development at Rare.

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, fans of the Mario franchise can look forward to a new Super Mario Bros. movie set to release in April 2026.