Introduction
Sean Forbes is a deaf American artist and, without a doubt, the master of deaf hip-hop. An emerging musical style bridges the generational gap between people who can hear and the deaf by allowing many deaf users to connect with a diverse culture previously unfamiliar to them. Forbes disproves the idea that deafness is a quiet plague. The 35-year-old hip-hop singer redefines boundaries and shatters preconceptions with the rhythms, motivating a population of hearing, hard-of-hearing, and deaf people for decades. He is demonstrating that hearing loss cannot stop him from pursuing his goals, thanks to his recently released song, “Two Blown Speakers.”
Life
Sean Forbes was born on February 5, 1982, in Detroit, Michigan, with the ability to hear; unfortunately, after contracting a spinal illness at a young age, he lost a significant portion of his hearing. Forbes had the devotion of his family, particularly regarding his musical interests. His parents introduced him to rock music while he was in residence, took him to performances, and allowed him to watch MTV (Akers 1). Since his dad and uncle were members of a neighborhood rock group, while his mom was a pianist, singing was also a big part of Sean’s background. Forbes began studying American Sign Language when he was 12 years old. His parents always emphasized his lip-reading and communication abilities because they wanted him to interact with the deaf and the hearing.
Why Forbes Is Famous
Sean Forbes has a slightly deaf tone when the artist raps. The rapper’s phrases are loud and clear. He has a commanding stage presence because of his captivating enthusiasm and steady footing. The rapper’s music foundation is a rumbling bass line that vibrates the space and sends shivers down people’s spines.
Forbes’s music has a message that deaf individuals can understand, which is more significant. The artist makes his songs appealing and conceivable for everyone, which is his ultimate objective (Best 2). Even if someone does not understand what Forbes is writing, watching how quickly the singer writes is fascinating. Within the space of a single stanza, his hands alternate between ballistic convulsions and delicate curves, flowing, gliding arcs and short, incisive cuts, traversing a wide range of sounds.
Sean employs his cochlear implants to assist in his performance, but he also pays attention to the spoken phrases of his tunes and physically senses the song’s pace. He creates music, undergoes the taping and mixing processes, and listens to it countless times before the singer shares the songs. Hence, the singer is familiar with his music by heart (Best 5).
However, the rapper requires hearing aids, so he does not second-guess himself. After completing his first concert tour supporting his latest album, Sean produced “Two Blown Speakers,” his next song. Forbes would spend several hours in his mother’s basement composing music, playing musical instruments, and improvising while his buddies played outdoors.
Accomplishments in Life
Forbes established Deaf Professional Arts Network television, an online site for gesture recognition channels that gathered various sign language materials. The sign language channel offered a wide variety of relevant material for viewers who were hard-of-hearing or deaf. He began singing songs because the artist was familiar with American Sign Language, which was the beginning of opening up entertainment to the deaf community.
Since then, the singer has produced American Sign Language music videos for various performers, including Owl City, Walk the Moon, Eminem, and many more (Best 3). Forbes’ finest tracks include “I’m Deaf,” “Let’s Mambo,” “Game Shows & Rock N Roll.” Some of the Forbes albums include Perfect Imperfection (2012), Hate (2020), and Little Victories (2020).
Sean continues to cooperate with the deaf professional art network while juggling his singing career alongside his roles as an inspirational communicator and deaf activist. He has played for about 150,000 individuals in 60 locations, rubbing shoulders with artists such as Stevie Wonder. He became the most exemplary hip-hop performer of the year during the Detroit Awards ceremony in 2013 (Best 5). Additionally, people have discussed Forbes on NPR and CNN, and the singer’s YouTube channel has become quite popular. The popularity of his videos resulted in a deal with Web Entertainment.
Conclusion
Believing in oneself is the most important thing if someone wants to achieve in life. Sean Forbes made a name for himself among many people, and it was because the content he produced had the power to appeal to and touch everyone. His story inspires many people who think being disabled is not an inability. The artist’s story is only a beginning, and it will expand and become more widespread because it is a moving tale that demands people to share across the world. More stories like Forbes’s are necessary because nothing can hinder people from pursuing their dreams, just like Sean Forbes, a deaf man who is a superb songwriter with songs and albums.
Works Cited
Akers, Taylor. “Rapper Sean Forbes performs, discusses the mission of advocacy.” UWIRE Text (2018): 1-1.
Best, Katelyn E. “Musical belonging in a hearing-centric society: Adapting and contesting dominant cultural norms through Deaf hip hop.” Journal of American Sign Languages and Literature (2018): 1-7.