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

Grant Kirkhope, renowned for composing the iconic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, has shared insights into why he was not credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of his famous track. In a conversation with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo opted not to credit any music it owns, including the DK Rap, in the film's credits.

Kirkhope recounted his discussion with Nintendo, explaining their policy: "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."

He expressed his disappointment over the lack of recognition, noting that by the time the credits rolled, the theater was nearly empty. "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 explained.

In 2023, Kirkhope voiced his frustration on social media, 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 went uncredited, other licensed tracks in the film did receive proper acknowledgment. Kirkhope also described the sampling of the DK Rap in the movie as "bizarre," akin to simply plugging in an N64 and looping the track. Despite his contributions on guitar and the involvement of the "lads from Rare" for the "D-K" part, none were credited.

When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope was uncertain. "I wonder," he said. "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 elements like the Rambi theme may 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.

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