Grant Kirkhope, renowned for his work on classics like Donkey Kong 64, recently discussed his lack of credit in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of the DK Rap. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo opted not to credit composers for any music it owns, with the exception of Koji Kondo. He explained, "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. 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 that by the time the credits roll, the theater is usually empty, leaving only him and his family to witness his name. He lamented the decision, stating, "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."
In 2023, Kirkhope voiced his frustration on social media, saying, "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 tracks like Bowser's Fury were also uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper credits for their composers and performers.
Kirkhope described the use of the DK Rap in the movie as "bizarre," likening it to simply sampling and looping the original N64 track. He played guitar on the DK Rap, while the "lads from Rare" contributed the iconic "D-K" vocals, yet none received credit.
When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap on the Nintendo Music App, 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 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 not part of the N64 Switch Online lineup, though the theme for Rambi is set to appear in Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on a potential new Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the essence of nostalgic sound, you can read the full interview on Eurogamer.
Meanwhile, development continues on a new Super Mario Bros. movie, scheduled for release in April 2026.
