- Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show is gearing up to be the event’s most inclusive thus far.
Deaf Detroit-based American Sign Language (ASL) performers Sean Forbes and Warren “WaWa” Snipe have been enlisted to take the stage alongside headliners Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige during this year’s program.
While more details about the performance remain under wraps, Forbes expressed that “The doors to accessibility are busted wide open with something like this,” when recently speaking with the Detroit Free Press.
According to the publication, Forbes and Snipe’s addition to the “hip-hop extravaganza” for this year’s halftime show is what the “NFL describes as an elevated acccessibily experience.”
“My goal is to get out there, show what we can do, and have fun,” said Forbes, who’s dreamed of performing at the Super Bowl since he was 12. “And I want to open the door for other deaf performers.”
Forbes’ history with Eminem in particular goes back some time. Back in 2005, the spirited ASL performer and solo artist got the opportunity to showcase his rendition of “Lose Yourself” for Eminem, to which he recalled the rapper responding, “Deaf people like music?”
Conversely, this year’s halftime show will be Warren’s second time at the Super Bowl — following his rendition of Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church’s performance of “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LV in February 2021.
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The year’s inclusive show will be “the first time the NFL has added ASL performances to their halftime program,” according to XXL.
Super Bowl LVI is going down live from Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13. Watch is via NBC at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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