Grant Kirkhope, the acclaimed composer behind iconic video game soundtracks such as *Donkey Kong 64*, recently shared insights into why he was not credited for the use of the infamous DK Rap in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*. In a revealing interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope explained that Nintendo made a deliberate decision not to credit composers for music it owns—except for Koji Kondo.
"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 revealed. "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 disappointment over the lack of recognition, especially since the film prominently featured a sampled version of the track. He noted that by the time the credits rolled, most of the audience had already left the theater. “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.”
Back in 2023, Kirkhope took to social media to express his frustration after noticing his name missing from the credits:
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
— Grant Kirkhope (@grantkirkhope) April 5, 2023
While the DK Rap wasn’t credited, other Nintendo-owned tracks like *Bowser’s Fury* were also omitted from the film’s musical credits. However, licensed tracks did receive proper acknowledgment for their composers and performers.
Kirkhope described the way the DK Rap was used in the film as somewhat unrefined: “It was bizarre, like they just plugged in the N64 and sampled it and looped it.” He also mentioned that he played guitar on the original track, while members of Rare handled the vocal chant — none of which were acknowledged in the final product.
When asked whether Nintendo might eventually add the DK Rap to its new Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope offered an interesting perspective: “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 rumor 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 notably absent from the N64 lineup on Switch Online, though hints suggest that elements of its soundtrack may appear in the upcoming title *Donkey Kong Bananza*. Whether this marks a shift in Nintendo’s stance remains to be seen.
You can read more about Kirkhope’s thoughts — including musings on a potential new *Banjo-Kazooie* project, *Donkey Kong Bananza*, and the emotional power of retro game audio — in the full interview over on Eurogamer.
Meanwhile, work has already begun on a new *Super Mario Bros.* movie, set for release in April 2026, promising fresh adventures — and perhaps renewed opportunities for composers to see their names in lights.
