A deaf rapper stole the show at Super Bowl LV on Sunday with his moving and expressive performance of the national anthem in American Sign Language.
Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipe, a 50-year-old artist and actor, surprised viewers with his powerful ASL interpretation of The Star-Spangled Banner while Grammy nominees Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church sang the lyrics.
Snipe, who also signed with America the Beautiful alongside HER, won thousands of new fans with his dynamic performances during the Super Bowl pre-game show.
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Incredible: Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipe, a 50-year-old artist and actor, energetically performed the American sign language national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday
Expressive: Snipes, who is deaf, signed the lyrics with a smile on his face while Grammy nominees Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church sang the anthem during the pre-game show
Standing between the 10 and 20 yard lines at Raymond James Stadium, Snipes had a bright smile on his face as he energetically performed the national anthem at ASL while appearing on the stadium’s jumbotron.
His movements were so continuous that it almost looked like he was dancing on the field, the result of his practice sessions at home.
Snipe told The Washington Post via text messages on Monday that he spent weeks practicing in front of the bathroom mirror after the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) asked him to play both songs in the Super Bowl.
‘I listened to the music indefinitely to get an idea of the music and the singing,’ he said. ‘It takes a long time and you want to make sure it’s understood, so playing around with different ways of interpreting a song is guaranteed!’
Snipe’s hard work led him to go viral during the game, with fans singing his praise on Twitter and Facebook.
Talented: Snipe’s movements were so perfect it almost looked like he was dancing on the field
Stealing the show: Snipes appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron while signing the lyrics of the national anthem
Group effort: Snipe performed between the 10 and 20 yard lines while Church and Sullivan sang the national anthem together
‘I don’t know about you, but Warren “WAWA” Snipe stole the show !!! #NationalAnthem #SuperBowl ‘, tweeted sports announcer Darren M. Haynes.
‘Genuinely obsessed by the ASL interpreter for the national anthem #SuperBowl,’ wrote another person.
‘And this will be the only best part of the Super Bowl today. WAWA and his talent are just incredible, ‘someone said.
NAD announced last month that Snipe would perform at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, which was a dream come true for the artist.
“I was very honored and honored to be selected to play these songs in the Super Bowl,” he told CBS News before the pre-game show.
Pre-game show: Snipe also performed America the Beautiful at ASL alongside HER
‘That’s a BIG energy’: the artist’s ASL interpretations went viral during the game, with fans singing his praise on Twitter
‘It has always been my dream to perform at the Super Bowl, and I would love to be able to perform at the ASL halftime show too!’ he added.
Snipes said at the time that he and the other artists would be rehearsing together, so that they would be ‘aligned and ready for game day’.
He explained that ASL artists usually try to match the tenor, rhythm and timing of the singers they are working with.
Howard A. Rosenblum, NAD CEO and director of legal services, told CBS News that there has been an ASL artist in the Super Bowl since 199, and the organization has been helping the NFL choose interpreters since 2009.
Snipes emphasized the importance of having an ASL artist on the show, saying, ‘The deaf and hearing impaired community needs to access these iconic songs like everyone else.’
Talented: Snipe developed ‘Dip Hop’ – a mix of audio and images that he describes as ‘hip hop through deaf eyes’ – in the late 1990s
Star power: the artist is also a film and television actor and has a recurring role in the CW’s Black Lightning series
“For those who are listening, try watching television without sound and subtitles, and you will experience inaccessibility,” he added. ‘Why wouldn’t you like to make everything accessible to everyone, including the deaf and the hearing impaired?’
Snipe, who graduated in theater from college, has decades of experience.
He developed ‘Dip Hop’ – a mix of audio and images that he describes as ‘hip hop through deaf eyes’ – in the late 1990s.
In 2016, he released his album Deaf: So What?!, Which aimed to show how perceived disadvantages can actually be advantages. He recently released his third album, Wamilton.
He is also an actor and has a recurring role in the CW’s Black Lightning series.
Snipes told CBS News that he hopes his work “paves the way for more opportunities for black deaf actors, as we are often overlooked for roles”.