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

Grant Kirkhope, the celebrated composer known for his work on games like Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he was not credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of the DK Rap. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that he had discussions with Nintendo post-release, where the company explained their policy on music credits.

According to Kirkhope, Nintendo decided not to credit any music it owns in the film, except for music by Koji Kondo. Initially, they planned to credit songs with vocals, which would have included the DK Rap. However, they later revised this decision, opting not to credit composers for music they own, which ultimately excluded Kirkhope.

Expressing his disappointment, Kirkhope shared that by the time the credits rolled, the theater was nearly empty, and only his family remained to see his potential credit. 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."

Kirkhope voiced his frustration on social media in 2023, 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 movie did receive proper acknowledgment for their composers and performers. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap in the film as "bizarre," suggesting it was directly taken from the N64 game and looped.

Regarding the possibility of the DK Rap appearing on the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope expressed uncertainty but noted that Nintendo owns the rights and could decide to include it. He also mentioned a rumor that Nintendo was not particularly fond of Donkey Kong 64, which might influence their decisions regarding its music.

Eurogamer pointed out that Donkey Kong 64 is not part of the N64 Switch Online lineup, although the Rambi theme seems set to appear in Donkey Kong Bananza. 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.

As for future projects, a new Super Mario Bros. movie is in development and is slated for release in April 2026.