List of references in music

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This article is about references to the Mario games in music. For official music of the Mario franchise, see List of albums.

Due to the popularity of the Mario franchise, the games have been referenced numerous times in popular songs.

A$AP Ferg

Perfume

A$AP Ferg's debut mixtape includes this song, with the line, "And I click like Donkey Kong when I hit this long".

A$AP Mob

Young Nigga Living

The instrumental to this track from their debut album incorporates a sound clip of Yoshi dying from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

Alestorm

The poster for Alestorm's Curse of the Crystal Coconut

The title of Alestorm's sixth studio album, Curse of the Crystal Coconut, is inspired by the Donkey Kong franchise. One of the album's tracks is a cover of "Pirate Scorn" from the Donkey Kong Country television series. Additionally, the album's poster features an eponymous Crystal Coconut from Donkey Kong 64 in the foreground and several other references to the Donkey Kong franchise in the background; these include the skeletal remains of a gorilla wearing a tie, a floating DK Coin, and several Klomps from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, as well as generic Donkey Kong motifs such as bananas and barrels, including a TNT Barrel.

Alex Day

I Hate Mario Kart Wii

From Alex Day's 117% Complete single, Alex Day describes his hatred for Mario Kart Wii and explains what happens as the race he is playing is progressing. The song can be listened to here.

Allison

Super Mario Bros.

A remake of the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme by Taller Para Niños.

Apathy

Can't Leave Rap Alone

This song, by underground rapper, Apathy, features the line "I'm like Donkey Kong, I got you niggas dodgin' my barrels".

Asther Roth

Lark On My Go-Kart

Asther Roth raps, "Mario Kart skills are outrageous," in this song from his second album.

Bad Meets Evil

I'm On Everything

The song, by hip-hop duo, Bad Meets Evil (composed of Eminem and Royce da 5'9"), references Mario in the line "Me and visions on 'shrooms, call us the Mario Brothers".

Big Sean

Ashley

On the song featuring singer Miguel, Big Sean in the second says the following lines: "It's been weird since I went out west and did an album with no I.D and ain't came back since". This was followed by Mario grunting from Super Mario 64.

Jump Out the Window

Big Sean has a line in the first verse in the song in which he recalls, "Remember when you used to though and hit the Mario Kart / And you always picked the princess."

Blood On The Dance Floor

It's On Like Donkey Kong

The song title mentions Donkey Kong's name, and the phrase itself is repeated throughout the chorus.

BTS

War of Hormone

The song features the coin and power-up sound effects from Super Mario Bros..

Buckner & Garcia

Do the Donkey Kong

The song debuted in the 1982 album Pac-Man Fever. The song was later released as a single in May 1982, though it was not as successful as the album nor the "Pac-Man Fever" single release. The song is based the Donkey Kong arcade game and features many of the game's sound effects as well as some of the in-game music.

Caps & Jones

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah

Later in the song, the New Super Mario Bros. theme can be heard.

Cardi B.

I Like It

During one of the verses, Cardi sings "'Bout my coins like Mario!"

Chamillionaire

Rapper Chamillionaire's nick name is Koopa or King Koopa, and occasionally in songs he introduces himself as such.

Game Gonna Cost a Fee

In Chamillionaire's "Game Gonna Cost a Fee" it is mentioned that "I ride with bananas and shells like Mario and Luigi", "bananas" and "shells" referring (respectively) to banana clips and shotgun shells.

Childish Gambino

American Royalty

Gambino has a line in this song that goes, "balls like Bowser".

Eat Your Vegetables

The instrumental to this song samples "Aquatic Ambience," the music for the underwater levels in Donkey Kong Country.

Children of Seraph

Rainbow Road

This song is named after the iconic race track featured in every Mario Kart. It describes the difficulty and frustration of racing through Rainbow Road.

Chris Webby

Roll

This rap song features the line "Donkey Kong in the flesh like the ape loose".

Das Racist

Rainbow in the Dark

Kool A.D.'s verse includes the line, "Like Don King playing Donkey Kong Country at his cousin’s house".

deadmau5

On his performance during The Game Awards 2015, the Canadian artist included remixed versions of The Evil King Bowser and Haunted House BGM from Super Mario World.

Denzel Curry

Envy Me

Florida rapper includes the line "I'm shroomed out my mental like Mario Bros." in this song.

Pyro (2019 Leak)

In this track from his collaboration EP with producer Kenny Beats, he says the line "Fire flows like I'm red and white Mario" in reference to Mario's Fire Mario ability from the original Super Mario Bros..

Drake

6 God

The instrumental to this song samples the "Haunted Chase" track from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

D.R.A.M.

Cha Cha

This song's instrumental samples the Star Road theme from Super Mario World, and uses the staple coin effects throughout.

Eminem

Despicable (Freestyle)

In "Despicable" (Freestyle) rap by Eminem (which was originally a song by Drake), Eminem mentions the lines "the game I just about conquered it like Donkey Kong".

Rap God

In the official music video, a scene displays a TV screen playing the original Super Mario Bros., albeit modified to avoid copyright.

ERB

Epic Rap Battles of History

A rap battle with Mario and Luigi as the main rappers, and the Wright Bros. Princess Peach and Donkey Kong are mentioned once each, with a line going Your princess is in our castle now, yeah she's gone, cause stayed up all night playing Donkey Kong.

Far East Movement

Rocketeer

One line in the middle of "Rocketeer" is "We're on some next level, Super Mario."

Flatbush Zombies

The Results Are In

This song contains a sample of Yoshi saying his name, after the line "No chain on, gold teeth, blowing Yoshi".

Freezepop

I Am Not Your Gameboy

The song is told from a Game Boy's point of view asking the listener not to insert games such as Tetris, Donkey Kong, Super Mario and other Game Boy games.

He Is Legend

The Seduction

Towards the end, there is the line "I've got to find the princess, she's in another castle".

Hobo Johnson

Mario & Link

"Mario & Link" uses sound effects from various video games, including Mario games, and directly samples Peach's dialogue from the end of Super Mario 64. It begins with the lines: "Hello there, uh, it's Frank and this song is dedicated to Mario and Link due to their undying perseverance which I'm not sure I should do the same of... Mario's never getting some and Link's never getting some so why should princesses love me?"

Horse the Band

Birdo

"Birdo" is loosely based off the Nintendo Character Birdo. The song uses electronic 8-bit sounds with electric guitar. It is in Horse the Band's 3rd album The Mechanical Hand. The song is mostly about the vocalists distaste for eggs and traumatic childhood.

Ice Cube

Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha

The first line of the song is "It's on like Donkey Kong."

J. Cole

Daddy's Little Girl

Artist J. Cole says, in the song, "You lost to lookin' for a savior, I ain't Mario".

Trouble

In this song, he says the lines, "I'm Koopa, I never been the Mario type / No saving hoes."

Jay Rock

ES Tales

The song's instrumental has a Super Mario Bros. coin sound effect used throughout.

Jellyfish

Ignorance is Bliss

Main article: Ignorance is Bliss

From the album White Knuckle Scorin', the song is narrated by Bowser, speaking to Princess Toadstool.

Jennifer Lopez

On the Floor

One of the lines said by rapper Pitbull is "And watch a chick get Donkey Konged."

K-Drama

Do What I Do

At one part of the track, the coin sound from Super Mario Bros. is played.

Kero Kero Bonito

Sick Beat

The song's backing track is based around a sample of the "Star Select" jingle from Super Mario 64.

Kids See Ghosts

Reborn

On the Kid Cudi and Kanye West collaboration project, Kanye West includes the line in this song, "All of you Mario, it's all a game."

Kim Hyun-Joong

Lucky Guy

A song by South Korean singer Kim Hyun Joong, his songs often contain various sound effects from the Super Mario series, including Jumping, Coins, and even the 1-Up sound.

KJ-52

Video Games

KJ-52's Christian-themed rap song contains various game references and sound effects. KJ-52 raps about how "I was down to one life and I didn't have another / but now I'm super like the Mario Brothers."

Leaders of the New School

Syntax Era

One of the lyrics is "I'm Donkey Kong, fat freak the notes".

Lights

Timing is Everything

One of the first lines of track 7 on Canadian musician Lights' 2011 album "Siberia" is "In the interim, the princess was in another castle."

Lil Dicky

Lemme Freak

The song's instrumental includes a sample of a Koopa Shell being kicked from the original Super Mario Bros.

Lil Wayne

No Worries

On this smash hit, in the second verse: "Let me see that Donkey Kong".

Lil Uzi Vert

Push Me To The Edge

Specifically in the remix of "Push Me To The Edge," the coin sound effect from Super Mario Bros. is played three times.

Lil Yachty

RunRunning

On his debut mixtape, this particular song from rapper Lil Yachty features the instrumental to the Super Mario 64 file select screen, with coin sound effects edited in throughout.

Logan Whitehurst & The Junior Science Club

What It's Like in Japan

"What It's Like in Japan" featured on the album "Very Tiny Songs", describes Japan (from where Mario was created) in a manner clearly modeled after a typical Super Mario Bros. level, featuring sound effects from the game and having its last line (That's what it's like when you go to Japan). The end is sung to the tune of Super Mario Bros.'s Game Over theme.

Logic

Super Mario World

The song's title is the same as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario World.

Wordplay

In the second verse, Logic says, "That Super Mario flow, I always get the 1-Up".

The Lonely Island

I Don't Give A Honk

Andy Samberg claims "We all know we're born with one hundred honks," to which Jorma Taccone adds, "But people throw them away like they were Donkey Konks."

Ludacris

Spur of the Movement

One of the lines is "We play Mario Brothers, we eat the 'shroom and get power."

Major Lazer

Aerosol Can

One of the lines on the middle of the song is "Make yourself bigger like mushroom, Mario Kart."

The Mountain Goats & Kaki King

Thank You Mario But Our Princess in Another Castle

The song is sung from the perspective of Toad after being rescued by Mario. Inspired by the infamous line that is the song's title, Toad sings about the horrible time he had while being kidnapped.

NESkimos

NESkimos is a band that plays metal versions of music from Nintendo games, including Super Mario Bros. 3.

Node

Super Mario

The Danish rapper released this song in which he likens his own bearded self to the famously-mustached main protagonist.

Mac Miller

Blue Slide Park

This track from rapper Mac Miller's debut album of the same name includes the line: "We just tryna go bananas like it's Donkey Kong".

Mc Maha (Dj WS & Dj Tadeu)

Mario

This Portuguese song is based on the Mario franchise.

MF Doom

Hoe Cakes

The song includes the following line: "Own his own throne, the boss like King Koopa".

Patent Pending

Hey Mario

From the 2013 album "Brighter", the songs talks about why Mario should stop rescuing Princess Peach. Games and sub-series like Mario Kart, Dr. Mario and Super Mario Galaxy are mentioned as well. The coin sound effect is also used in some lines.

Peabod

Roommates

In one line, the song mentions Mario Kart by saying, "We made an art out of Mario Kart, we're smart gents".

The Preachers

Better Than It Ever Could Be

The song contains some notes from the ending theme of Super Mario Bros. 2.

Resonant Sun

Video Game

The song describes Super Mario Bros..

Roxette

Almost Unreal

"Almost Unreal" was featured in the Super Mario Bros. film as the first song in the credits. There are two versions of the music video, one with references to the film and one without. The former includes images from the film and several minor references, including one of the king's Mushrooms and several warnings of de-evolution. The video ends with the main character being De-Evolved into a lizard, which crawls out of his clothes. The scene of the lizard is cut out of the later version of the video, along with the De-Evolution warning. In both videos the main character plays a video game, progressing through levels as the video continues.

Schoolboy Q

Break the Bank

The beat to this song is produced by DJ "The Alchemist", who included a sample of Toad screaming from Mario Kart 64, slowed and faded, and played throughout the song.

Ski Mask the Slump God

Bowser

Ski Mask the Slump God has a song titled "Bowser", featuring deceased rapper XXXTentacion, from the mixtape "Members Only, Vol. 3". The song features various pop culture references, including video games and television cartoons, but features no additional references to Mario outside from the song name.

Nuketown

The song "Nuketown" from the album "STOKELEY" contains the line, "Ate a Mario mushroom quick, uh-huh".

Snoop Dogg

The Bidness

One of the lyrics is "Half dog, half gorilla, bitch Donkey Kong".

Supah Mario

Supah Mario is the stage name for DeMario Priester, a hip hop music producer who has produced instrumentals to tracks for big name artists including Drake, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, and others.

Taller Para Niños

Super Mario Bros. 3

A song by the Mexican group, only the last line in the song actually refers to Super Mario Bros. 3.

Trace Adkins

Honky Tonk Badonkadonk

The country song makes a reference to Donkey Kong when Trace Adkins says "She's got it goin' on like Donkey Kong."

Tyga

Hijack

The gangsta-like criminal song makes a reference to Bowser when the rapper says "Motherfucking beast bitch call me King Koopa."

Waka Flocka Flame

Karma

This song from Waka Flocka Flame's debut album, "Flockaveli" contains the line, "Ran up on his car, had him eating shells like Mario Go-Kart".

Yung Lean

Yung Lean is a Swedish rapper whose lyrics frequently reference video games. His music video to Hurt features video game related graphics and footage, such as including gameplay from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Some of his songs reference Mario, and two songs directly reference Mario in the title: "Yoshi City" and another titled "Princess Daisy".

Mario related references in his songs include the following:

• "In Tokyo, playing Mario" from Hurt
• "I'm Wario, when I'm in Mario Kart" in Kyoto
• "Super Mario everyday" in 5th Element

See also

• Acapella Famicom Medley