TAMPA, Fla. — Warren "Wawa" Snipe, a man from the D.C.-area, performed the national anthem in ASL on Sunday at Super Bowl LV, according to CBS News.
The Gallaudet University graduate who calls the DC metro area home performed the national anthem and other songs in American Sign Language (ASL) during the event's pregame.
Snipe accompanied R&B singer H.E.R. on "America the Beautiful" and country singer Eric Church and R&B artist Jazmine Sullivan on the national anthem.
Snipe explained to CBS News that the ASL performances typically match the tenor, rhythm and tempo of how singers perform the songs. He said has been preparing by practicing a rendition of the songs that "closely tracks" how this year's singers typically perform them. "My approach will follow how this year's singers handle the songs in their own way."
There has been an ASL performer at the Super Bowl since 1992 and the NAD has been involved with the NFL in choosing the ASL performer since 2009, according to Howard A. Rosenblum, the NAD's chief executive officer & director of legal services.
Snipe told CBS News that he believes it is important to have an ASL performer for the iconic songs at the big game for a main reason: "Access. Simple as that."
"The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community needs access to these iconic songs just like everyone else," Snipe explained to CBS News. "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?"
Snipe is a rapper, writer and performer. He is also an actor, becoming a trailblazer through his role in The CW's show "Black Lightning" for Black and Deaf communities.
He calls his rap genre "Dip Hop" -- Hip Hop through deaf eyes. "His rendering of Dip Hop explores Hip Hop in a way where the focus is taking on challenges and educating people about deaf musicians in the hearing world," according to his website.
A native of the DMV, Snipe, has been hitting the ground running with music with the insatiable drive since he first picked up the mic in 2005 and began writing and rhyming at an unstoppable pace.