Grant Kirkhope, the renowned composer behind classics like Donkey Kong 64, has shed light on why he was not credited in The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the use of the DK Rap. In an interview with Eurogamer, Kirkhope revealed that Nintendo decided not to credit composers for any music it owns, except for 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 further shared his disappointment, noting that by the time the credits rolled in the movie, the theater was nearly empty, with only his family there to see his name. "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 remarked.

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."

While the DK Rap and another Nintendo-owned song, Bowser's Fury, went uncredited, licensed tracks in the film did receive proper credits for their composers and performers. Kirkhope described the sampling of the DK Rap as "bizarre," suggesting it sounded like they "just plugged in the N64 and sampled it and looped it." Despite his contributions to the track, including playing guitar, and the involvement of the "lads from Rare" in the "D-K" part, none were credited.

When asked about the potential inclusion of the DK Rap in the Nintendo Music App, Kirkhope expressed uncertainty, noting, "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 the Rambi theme might appear in Donkey Kong Bananza. For more insights from Kirkhope, including discussions on a potential new Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the sound of nostalgia, you can read the full interview on Eurogamer.

Looking ahead, a new Super Mario Bros. movie is in development and is set to be released in April 2026.