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

Grant Kirkhope, the acclaimed composer behind iconic video game soundtracks such as *Donkey Kong 64*, recently shared insights into why he was not credited in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie* for the inclusion of the legendary DK Rap.

In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that he reached out to Nintendo following the film’s release and learned that the company had made a deliberate choice not to credit composers for music originating from games they own—including the DK Rap. There was one exception: Koji Kondo, the legendary composer behind many of Nintendo’s most famous themes.

“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 explained. “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 decision, especially considering how few people actually stay until the end of the credits roll in theaters.

“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 voice his frustration about being omitted 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

Interestingly, while the DK Rap wasn’t credited, other licensed tracks in the movie were properly attributed. Even *Bowser’s Fury*, another Nintendo-owned piece featured in the film, went uncredited.

Kirkhope described the way the DK Rap was used in the movie as somewhat odd, suggesting it was sampled directly from the N64 version and looped. He mentioned that he played guitar on the original track, and the “lads from Rare” contributed the iconic “D-K” vocals—all without acknowledgment.

When asked whether the DK Rap could eventually appear on the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope offered an intriguing response:

“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.”

Notably, *Donkey Kong 64* is not part of the Nintendo Switch Online N64 library. However, hints suggest its musical legacy may live on—such as the rumored inclusion of Rambi’s theme in *Donkey Kong Bananza*.

For more on this story and to hear Kirkhope reflect on the chances of a new *Banjo-Kazooie* title, updates on *Donkey Kong Bananza*, and the emotional power of nostalgic soundtracks, check out the full interview over at Eurogamer.

Meanwhile, fans of the Mario cinematic universe have something to look forward to: a new *Super Mario Bros.* movie is currently in development and slated for a spring 2026 release.