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A deaf rapper stole the show at Super Bowl LV on Sunday with his heartwarming and expressive performance of the national anthem in American Sign Language.
Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipe, a 50-year-old artist and actor, blew viewers away with his powerful ASL rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner as Grammy nominees Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church topped the song’s lyrics.
Snipe, who also signed America the Beautiful alongside HER, gained thousands of new fans with his dynamic performances at the Super Bowl pre-game show.
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Unbelievable: Warren ‘Wawa’ Snipe, a 50-year-old artist and actor, energetically performed the national anthem in American Sign Language at the Super Bowl on Sunday
Expressive: Snipes, who is deaf, signed off the lyrics with a smile on his face as 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 dazzling smile on his face as he energetically performed the ASL national anthem while appearing on the stadium’s jumbotron.
His movements were so smooth it almost looked like he was dancing on the court, a result of his home workouts.
Snipe told the Washington Post via text message on Monday that he spent weeks training in front of his bathroom mirror after the National Deaf Association (NAD) asked him to perform both songs at the Super Bowl.
“I listened to the music over and over to get a feel for the music and the singing,” he says. “It takes a long time and you want to make sure you are understood, so playing with different ways of interpreting a song is justified!”
Snipe’s hard work has seen him go viral during the game, with fans singing his praises on Twitter and Facebook.
Talented: Snipe’s movements were so smooth he almost looked like he was dancing on the pitch
Steal the show: Snipes appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron while signing lyrics for the national anthem
Group effort: Snipe played between the 10 and 20 meter 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, ” sports reporter Darren M. Haynes tweeted.
“Really obsessed with the ASL performer of the #SuperBowl national anthem,” another wrote.
And that will be the only best part of the Super Bowl today. WAWA and her talent are just amazing, ” someone else said.
NAD announced last month that Snipe would be performing at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, which was a dream come true for the artist.
“ I was very honored and honored to have been selected to perform these songs at the Super Bowl, ” he told CBS News ahead of the pre-game show.
Pre-game: Snipe also performed America the Beautiful in ASL alongside HER
‘It’s a big energy’: Artist’s ASL renditions went viral during the match, with fans singing his praises on Twitter
“ I’ve always dreamed of performing at the Super Bowl, and I wish I could play the ASL halftime show too! ” he added.
Snipes said at the time that he and the other artists would rehearse together, so they would be “ lined up and ready for game day. ”
He explained that ASL performers usually try to match the tenor, beat, and tempo of the singers they work with.
Howard A. Rosenblum, chief executive of NAD and director of legal services, told CBS News that there has been an ASL artist at the Super Bowl since 199 and that the organization has been helping the NFL choose performers since 2009.
Snipes stressed the importance of having an ASL performer on the show, saying, “ The deaf and hard of hearing community needs to have access to these iconic songs like everyone else. ”
Talented: Snipe developed ‘Dip Hop’ – a mix of audio and imagery 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 Black Lightning series
“For those who can hear, try watching TV without sound and subtitles, and you will experience inaccessibility,” he added. “Why wouldn’t you want everything to be accessible to everyone, including people who are deaf and hard of hearing?
Snipe, who majored in theater in college, has decades of performance under his belt.
He developed ‘Dip Hop’ – a mix of audio and imagery 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 in fact be advantages. He recently released his third album, Wamilton.
He is also a working actor and has a recurring role on The CW Black Lightning series.
Snipes told CBS News that he hopes his work “ opens the door to more opportunities for black deaf actors because we are too often overlooked for roles. ”
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