Grant Kirkhope, renowned for his work on classics like Donkey Kong 64, recently shared insights into why he wasn't credited for the DK Rap in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a conversation with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo opted not to credit composers for any music they own, except for Koji Kondo. This policy extended to the DK Rap, despite its vocal component, which initially seemed to qualify it for credit.
"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 so late in the movie that only a few would see them. "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 elaborated.
In 2023, Kirkhope voiced his frustration on social media, stating, "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, featuring Kirkhope on guitar and contributions from the "lads from Rare," was sampled in a manner Kirkhope described as "bizarre," akin to simply plugging in an N64 and looping the track.
While other Nintendo-owned songs like Bowser's Fury were also uncredited, external licensed tracks did receive proper acknowledgment in the movie's credits. When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope remained uncertain but noted Nintendo's ownership of the music and their rumored disinterest in Donkey Kong 64.
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, the next installment in Mario's cinematic journey, a new Super Mario Bros. movie, is slated for release in April 2026.
