Donkey Kong 64 has a special place in a generation of gamers’ hearts and scooped up several awards the year of its release–for a quick nostalgia trip, you can read GameSpot’s review from 1999. The game brought Donkey Kong and his friends into the first 3D space after the Donkey Kong Country series had wrapped on the previous generation of consoles. While the gameplay is still iconic, even more so was the opening theme “The DK Rap”, which introduced players to the characters.
In celebration of the game’s 25th anniversary, rapper Substantial, along with original composer Grant Kirkhope, teamed together for a remix album called Rare Treats: Donkey Kong 64 Revisited. The song–one of 14 tracks on the album–features new beats, and some new lyrics, but still has that funky DK vibe.
“This isn’t just a nostalgia trip–it’s a full-blown, banana-fueled celebration, with revisited recordings and versions re-arranged by composer Grant Kirkhope. Track titles have also been updated to match their intended destiny,” the official song description reads. “Remade by the legend himself, Grant Kirkhope: The original composer and living legend who brought you the unforgettable tracks of Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007 has returned to remaster the DK64 soundtrack.”
Kevin Bayliss, the designer of the original Donkey Kong 64 characters, even provided the cover album and inserts as well.
DK Rap was featured in last year’s megahit The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but Kirkhope was not credited for the film, the only instance of that ever happening. The song has subsequently appeared in multiple games since then–most notably as stage music in multiple Super Smash Bros. games–and Kirkhope was credited as the original composer in every other use.