Warren “Wawa” Snipe wowed audiences at Super Bowl LV while performing both “America the Beautiful” and “The Spar-Spangled Banner” in American Sign Language during Super Bowl LV.
Snipe, 50, won over the crowd with his animated expressions and bright smile as he performed alongside H.E.R. for “America the Beautiful”, and with Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church for the national anthem.
Warren Snipe is the artist who just performed the National Anthem in ASL at the #SuperBowl.
He stole the show pic.twitter.com/AiClpgt7uC
I wish I was as cool as the guy doing the sign language of the American National Anthem at the #SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/pRXfuKiy8M
The real MVP: Warren Snipe, signing the National Anthem. #SuperBowl
Incredible showing by the sign language guy, my goodness #SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/ntaI2xBgBV
The best performance to start the #superbowl is Warren Snipe with the ASL Star Spangled Banner. I don't sign but I want to learn now! #SuperBowl2021
Snipe majored in theater in college and developed “Dip Hop” — which according to CBS News, he describes as “Hip Hop through Deaf eyes” — in the ’90s. Aside from being a rapper is he also an actor, and has a recurring role on The CW’s Black Lighting. He released his album, Deaf: So What?!, in 2016.
In a statement last month, Snipe, an avid football fan, talked about what it meant for him to perform at the Super Bowl.
“I was very honored and humbled to be selected to perform these songs at the Super Bowl,” he said. “It was always my dream to perform at the Super Bowl, and I would love to be able to perform the halftime show in ASL too!”
Prior to the big game, he told CBS News that he was preparing by practicing a rendition of the songs that closely tracks how this year’s singers typically perform them. He also rehearsed together with the artists.
“My approach will follow how this year’s singers handle the songs in their own way,” he said.
“The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community needs access to these iconic songs just like everyone else,” he also said. “To those who are hearing, try watching television with the sound and captions off, and you’ll experience inaccessibility. Why wouldn’t you want to make everything accessible to everyone, including Deaf and Hard of Hearing people?”
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