Deaf rappers to perform in Super Bowl halftime show. Meet Sean Forbes & Wawa Snipes
Two deaf rappers, Sean Forbes and Warren “WaWa” Snipes, will appear alongside some of hip-hop’s most storied performers during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 13.
The pair were invited to be the sign language interpreters for the show — the first time the halftime show will include American Sign Language artists. The halftime show’s headlining acts are Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.
“Onstage, Forbes and Wawa aren’t mere ASL interpreters,” the Detroit Free Press reported. “They’re full-on performers, spirited and expressive, lending the music their own creative flourishes and artistry.”
So who are these two rappers and what have they said about making Super Bowl history?
A Detroit native, Forbes will share the stage with Eminem, another Michigan native. He told ClickOnDetroit “it’s not even debatable” when he was asked if he would participate in the show, given his musical influences are headlining it.
“My goal is to get out there, show what we can do, and have fun,” he told the Democrat & Chronicle. “And I want to open the door for other deaf performers.”
His 2020 album, “Little Victories,” reached No. 1 on the iTunes and Amazon hip-hop album charts, according to the National Association of the Deaf.
WaWa, who calls himself “a rapper who happens to be deaf,” hails from the Washington, D.C., area and has been rapping since 2005, according to his biography. It’s not his first time being featured at the Super Bowl, either. Last year, he performed the national anthem in American Sign Language.
He said in a Facebook post performing at the Super Bowl was a dream come true for him, and now he’ll get to do it in consecutive years.
“Doing my best to blast those barriers and showing the world what #DeafMusicArtists around the world can do and more,” he said. “Trust me, I’ve been doing this for 30 years as an actor, dancer, martial artist and blessed rapper. I see the barriers being torn down and starting to welcome our freakin’ awesome deaf artists!”
The National Association of the Deaf calls him a “trailblazer” who has developed his own niche within the hip-hop world.
In an interview for the National Association of the Deaf, the pair mentioned how excited they are to perform with some of hip-hop’s greatest.
“I’ve had 30 years of listening to their music, so the kid inside of me is just thrilled right now,” Forbes said after the first rehearsal.
“I can feel the energy, like, I don’t want to stop, I want to keep going,” WaWa added. “Just give me more and more and more until I burst.
Deaf actress Sandra Mae Frank, who appears in NBC’s “New Amsterdam,” will perform the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” in ASL before kickoff.
Super Bowl LVI between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 13, on NBC.