Grant Kirkhope

Grant Kirkhope (born 10 July 1962) is a British video game composer, film composer and voice actor who has worked on video games since 1995 and is known for his compositions for Rareware games, especially the Banjo-Kazooie series. He has provided voice lines for Donkey Kong in various games.

He is somewhat infamous for writing the DK Rap featured in Donkey Kong 64, which has gained notoriety as an internet meme. The song went on to be arranged for the Super Smash Bros. series and Donkey Konga, and was featured briefly in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Kirkhope initially expressed excitement upon learning that his DK Rap was featured in the film, but was disappointed to learn the credits were attributed simply to Donkey Kong 64 rather than his name.

Game credits

 * Donkey Kong Land 2 – Music
 * Donkey Kong 64 – Development Team (composed the soundtrack in lieu of Eveline Fischer, voiced Donkey Kong and Kroc )
 * Donkey Kong Country – Vocals (GBA)
 * Donkey Kong Country 2 – Vocals (GBA)
 * Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – Music
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Arrangement
 * Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Music (with Yoko Shimomura and Gareth Coker)

Portrayals

 * Donkey Kong 64 – Donkey Kong / Kroc
 * Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color) – Donkey Kong (Funky's Fishing mini-game only)
 * Diddy Kong Pilot (2001) – Donkey Kong
 * Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance) – Donkey Kong
 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour – Donkey Kong
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! – Donkey Kong
 * Donkey Konga – Donkey Kong (mini-games only)
 * Mario Golf: Advance Tour – Donkey Kong
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong – Donkey Kong
 * Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) – Donkey Kong
 * Mario Power Tennis – Donkey Kong (intro only)
 * DK: King of Swing – Donkey Kong
 * Yakuman DS – Donkey Kong
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP – Donkey Kong
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis – Donkey Kong / Mini-DK (shared with Takashi Nagasako)
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 – Donkey Kong
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! – Donkey Kong / Mini Donkey Kong (shared with Takashi Nagasako)
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! – Donkey Kong / Mini Donkey Kong (shared with Takashi Nagasako)
 * Mario Kart Arcade GP DX – Donkey Kong
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mumbo Jumbo / Jinjos

Donkey Kong Land 2

 * Opening Fanfare — Arrangement
 * K. Rool Returns — Arrangement
 * Steel Drum Rhumba — Arrangement
 * Welcome to Crocodile Isle — Arrangement
 * Snakey Chantey — Arrangement
 * Lockjaw's Saga — Arrangement
 * School House Harmony — Arrangement
 * Funky the Main Monkey — Arrangement
 * Boss Bossanova — Arrangement
 * Hot-Head Bop — Arrangement
 * Bayou Boogie — Arrangement
 * Flight of the Zinger — Arrangement
 * Disco Train — Arrangement
 * Token Tango — Arrangement
 * Stickerbush Symphony — Arrangement
 * In a Snow-Bound Land — Arrangement
 * Krook's March — Arrangement
 * Run, Rambi! Run! — Arrangement
 * Klubba's Reveille — Arrangement
 * Lost World Anthem — Arrangement
 * Crocodile Cacophony — Arrangement
 * Donkey Kong Rescued — Arrangement
 * Swanky Swing — Arrangement
 * Game Over — Arrangement

Donkey Kong 64

 * DK Rap — Composition/arrangement
 * DK Island — Composition/arrangement
 * Jungle — Arrangement
 * Mine Cart — Composition/arrangement
 * Aztec — Composition/arrangement
 * Aztec Boss — Composition/arrangement
 * Klanky's Tune — Composition/arrangement
 * Toy Factory — Composition/arrangement
 * Candy's Tune — Composition/arrangement
 * Shipwreck — Composition/arrangement
 * Ship Boss — Composition/arrangement
 * Forest — Composition/arrangement
 * Forest Boss — Composition/arrangement
 * Funky's Tune — Composition/arrangement
 * Crystal Caves — Composition/arrangement
 * Ice Slide — Composition/arrangement
 * Spooky — Composition/arrangement
 * Hideout — Composition/arrangement

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

 * Two Worlds Collide — Composition/arrangement
 * The Adventure Begins — Composition/arrangement
 * Grand Opening — Composition/arrangement
 * Sunny Side Up — Composition/arrangement
 * Ziggies! — Composition/arrangement
 * A Towering View — Composition/arrangement
 * The Waterfall Puzzle — Composition/arrangement
 * Ancient Gardens — Composition/arrangement
 * Through the Lawns — Composition/arrangement
 * Hoppers! — Composition/arrangement
 * Mystic Battle — Composition/arrangement
 * Mystic Journey — Composition/arrangement
 * Mid Boss Mayhem — Composition/arrangement
 * Mid Boss Mayhem (ver. 2) — Composition/arrangement
 * At the Tower's Feet — Composition/arrangement
 * Huggers! — Composition/arrangement
 * Tower Tweeter — Composition/arrangement
 * Tower's Puzzle — Composition/arrangement
 * Tower Trouble — Composition/arrangement
 * Rabbid Kong Rumpus — Arrangement
 * Rabbid Kong Rumble — Composition/arrangement
 * A Song of Ice and Desert — Composition/arrangement
 * In the Heat of the Battle — Composition/arrangement
 * Hot Start, Cold Finish — Composition/arrangement
 * Cold Start, Hot Finish — Composition/arrangement
 * In the Cold of the Battle — Composition/arrangement
 * Icicle Golem Freeze — Composition/arrangement
 * Icicle Golem Fracas — Composition/arrangement
 * Icicle Golem Finale — Composition/arrangement
 * Abbey Ruins — Composition/arrangement
 * Spooky Skirmish — Composition/arrangement
 * Spooky Village — Composition/arrangement
 * The Swamp Battle — Composition/arrangement
 * Lost in the Swamp — Composition/arrangement
 * Combat in the Cemetery — Composition/arrangement
 * A Stroll in the Cemetery — Composition/arrangement
 * The Phantom of the Bwahpera, Act 1 — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom's Phenomena — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom's Crescendo — Composition/arrangement
 * The Phantom of the Bwapera, Act 3 — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom's Phortissimo — Composition/arrangement
 * Into the Pit — Composition/arrangement
 * Fahrenheit Forge — Composition/arrangement
 * Exploring the Mine — Composition/arrangement
 * Heart of Darkness — Composition/arrangement
 * Steamed up in the Factory — Composition/arrangement
 * Bwa Enemies! — Composition/arrangement
 * Beware Bowser's Base — Composition/arrangement
 * The Lava Forge — Composition/arrangement
 * Bowser Begins — Composition/arrangement
 * Bowser Returns — Composition/arrangement
 * Bowser Bows Out — Composition/arrangement

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

 * Spiral Mountain — Composition/arrangement

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

 * First Contact - Beacon Beach — Composition/arrangement
 * Port in a Storm — Composition/arrangement
 * Augie's Subterranean Sanctum — Composition/arrangement
 * Sunny Side of the Galaxy — Composition/arrangement
 * Headlong Into Darkmess — Composition/arrangement
 * Icy Battle Ballet — Composition/arrangement
 * Ice-Bound Planet, Pt. I — Composition/arrangement
 * Ice-Bound Planet, Pt. II — Composition/arrangement
 * Midnite Ball (Right Turn) — Composition/arrangement
 * Midnite Ball (Left Turn) — Composition/arrangement
 * Midnite Ball (Say Your Goodbyes) — Composition/arrangement
 * Paean to Palette Prime — Composition/arrangement
 * Paletteville in Peril — Composition/arrangement
 * An Uncanny Village — Composition/arrangement
 * Interstellar Invaders — Composition/arrangement
 * Wither and Fade — Composition/arrangement
 * Drama in the Plaza — Composition/arrangement
 * Hitting Bedrock — Composition/arrangement
 * Rulers of Darkmess — Composition/arrangement
 * Heart of Darkmess — Composition/arrangement
 * For the Galaxy! — Composition/arrangement
 * The Liberation of the Sparks — Composition/arrangement
 * Broken Jungle — Composition/arrangement
 * Golem's Gnarly Fight — Composition/arrangement
 * Silent Ruins — Composition/arrangement
 * Mecha King Bob-omb Blast — Composition/arrangement
 * Symphony Pond — Composition/arrangement
 * Kanya's Camp — Composition/arrangement
 * Broken Silence — Composition/arrangement
 * Western Isle Waves — Composition/arrangement
 * Mecha King Bob-omb Bombs — Composition/arrangement
 * The Grand Finale — Composition/arrangement
 * A Fancy Invite — Composition/arrangement
 * Golden Ticket Tussle — Composition/arrangement
 * Whistles in the Wind — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom Returns, Act 1 - Overture — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom, Razzmatazz — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom, Metal Mayhem — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom Returns, Act 3 - The Roast — Composition/arrangement
 * Phantom, The Diva Delivers — Composition/arrangement
 * A Fond Farewell (sob*) — Composition/arrangement

Quotes

 * “Yeah… my Miyamoto story is a bit worse. It was when E3 had moved to Atlanta [1997]. Nintendo had a party in a museum, and we all got hideously drunk. I saw Tim Stamper talking to Miyamoto, and I introduced myself as the composer of Banjo-Kazooie, totally drunk. He just looked at me with the blankest expression, he couldn’t tell what I was saying. A while later, I was in the bathroom – and this is embarrassing – I was trying to pull down George Andreas’ trousers for a joke. I was on my knees and I looked up to see Miyamoto staring down at me. That was the last time I spoke to him.”