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

Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind the iconic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, shared insights into why he wasn't credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of his famous track. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo had a specific policy regarding music credits in the film.

According to Kirkhope, Nintendo decided not to credit composers for any music it owns, with the exception of Koji Kondo. Initially, there was a plan to credit songs with vocals, which would have included the DK Rap. However, the policy was revised to exclude credits for composers if Nintendo owned the music, effectively leaving Kirkhope and others uncredited.

Kirkhope expressed his disappointment, noting that by the time the credits rolled in the movie, the theater was nearly empty, and only his family remained to see if his name would appear. He lamented the decision, saying, "for the sake of a couple of lines of text…," but acknowledged Nintendo's firm stance on their policy.

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 songs like Bowser's Fury also went uncredited, 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 vocals by the "lads from Rare," none of them were acknowledged in the credits.

When asked about the possibility of the DK Rap being added to the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope expressed uncertainty. He noted that some of David Wise's work has been included, but mentioned a rumor from his time at Rare that Nintendo was not particularly fond of Donkey Kong 64.

Interestingly, while Donkey Kong 64 is not part of the N64 Switch Online lineup, elements like the Rambi theme seem poised to appear in Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on potential new projects like Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Bananza, readers can check out the full interview on Eurogamer.

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