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The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in theaters today, and there’s already a controversy. Legendary composer Grant Kirkhope has been working in the video game industry for decades. His music has graced some of the most beloved games ever made, including GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and many others. One of Kirkhope’s most famous (or infamous, depending on your tastes) pieces is the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64. If you’d like a refresher, here it goes:
Catchy, eh? Apparently the folks at Illumination , the studio that made The Super Mario Bros. Movie, felt the same way and decided to incorporate it into the film. One would think that to use such a well-known, iconic tune that Kirkhope, who is also widely known within the industry, would get some kind of recognition, but it turns out that he was not included in the end credits for the film:
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 on the surface it might not sound like the biggest deal, it is emblematic of the relative anonymity that creatives within the video game industry are subjected to despite garnering so much recognition from fans for their numerous contributions. In the case of a composer of Kirkhope’s ilk, it’s pretty inexcusable to not put his name in the credits. There’s no word on whether or not Illumination might change this down the road, for now Kirkhope has been snubbed—but not by his faithful fans. Feel free to send Kirkhope some love on his Twitter page and remind everyone who the creator of the DK Rap is.
Source: Grant Kirkhope Twitter Page
