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 his name was omitted from the credits of The Super Mario Bros. Movie despite the use of the iconic DK Rap. In a detailed interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo chose not to credit composers for any 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 fleeting nature of movie credits. "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 recounted.

In 2023, Kirkhope took to social media to voice his frustration over his exclusion from the film's credits. He tweeted, "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, the movie did acknowledge the composers and performers of licensed tracks. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap in the film as "bizarre," likening it to simply "plugging in the N64 and sampling it and looping it." Despite his contributions, including playing guitar on the track, and the vocal contributions from the "lads from Rare," none were credited.

Eurogamer also inquired about the possibility of the DK Rap appearing on the Nintendo Music App, given Nintendo's ownership of the rights. Kirkhope responded, "I wonder. 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 rumor 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 about a potential new Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the essence of nostalgic sound, you can read the full Eurogamer interview.

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