Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind classics like Donkey Kong 64, recently shed light on why he was not credited for the DK Rap in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo made a policy decision not to credit composers for music they own, with the exception of Koji Kondo.
"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 after the audience had left the theater. "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 shared.
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 the DK Rap and another Nintendo-owned track, Bowser's Fury, went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper acknowledgments 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 sample. He played guitar on the original track, while the "lads from Rare" contributed the iconic "D-K" vocals, yet none were credited.
When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope was uncertain. "I wonder," he said. "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, Donkey Kong 64 is absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, though the Rambi theme is expected to feature in Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on a potential new Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the essence of nostalgia in gaming, you can read the full interview on Eurogamer.
Looking ahead, the Mario franchise continues to expand, with a new Super Mario Bros. movie slated for release in April 2026.
