Grant Kirkhope, renowned for composing the iconic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he wasn't credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a revealing interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope disclosed that Nintendo made a strategic choice not to credit composers for any music they own, with the exception of Koji Kondo. This policy directly impacted the recognition of the DK Rap in the film.

Kirkhope recounted his conversation with Nintendo post-release, stating, "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."

Expressing his disappointment, Kirkhope highlighted the fleeting nature of movie credits, noting, "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."

In a 2023 social media post, Kirkhope voiced his frustration over the omission, 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."

Interestingly, while other Nintendo-owned tracks like Bowser's Fury were also uncredited, external licensed tracks in the film did receive proper acknowledgment. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap as "bizarre," akin to simply "plugging in the N64 and sampling it and looping it." Despite his contributions on guitar and the vocal elements by the "lads from Rare," none received credits.

When questioned about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope expressed uncertainty, saying, "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."

Notably, Donkey Kong 64 is absent from the N64 Switch Online lineup, though elements like the Rambi theme might appear in Donkey Kong Bananza. For further insights into Kirkhope's views on future projects like a new Banjo Kazooie and Donkey Kong Bananza, readers can explore the full Eurogamer interview.

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