Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind iconic game soundtracks including Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he was not credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the DK Rap. In a candid interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo decided against crediting composers for any music it owns, with the exception of Koji Kondo.
Kirkhope 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."
He expressed his disappointment, noting that by the time the credits roll, theaters are usually empty, and only his immediate family remained to witness his potential acknowledgment. "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 recounted.
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." This sentiment was shared on April 5, 2023, via his Twitter account.
While other Nintendo-owned songs like Bowser's Fury also went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper credits for their composers and performers. Kirkhope found the sampling of the DK Rap in the movie to be "bizarre," describing it as if they "just plugged in the N64 and sampled it and looped it." Despite his contributions on guitar and the vocal parts performed by the "lads from Rare," none were credited.
Eurogamer also inquired about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap on the Nintendo Music App, to which Kirkhope responded with uncertainty, noting Nintendo's ownership of the music and their rumored dislike for Donkey Kong 64. "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," he said.
Interestingly, while Donkey Kong 64 is absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, elements like the Rambi theme are expected 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.
Meanwhile, the Mario movie franchise continues to expand, with a new Super Mario Bros. movie slated for release in April 2026.
