The Internet Can’t Stop Watching This ASL Rendition Of Cardi B’s ‘WAP’ From Lollapalooza
Screenshots via Twitter/YouTube
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s renowned “WAP” may have come out last year, but it’s still making headlines. This time, it’s not the song that’s capturing people’s attention but a very interesting interpretation of it. This week, a video went viral of an enthusiastic ASL interpreter signing the NSFW lyrics to “WAP”.
In the viral video, the interpreter is on stage with Megan Thee Stallion at Lollapalooza. But it’s the ASL interpreter that steals the show, signing one of the most explicit portions of “WAP.” And by the looks of it, she is having fun while doing it.
On Tuesday, a Twitter user tweeted out the video with the caption: “EXCUSE ME BUT THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER DURING MEGAN’S PERFORMANCE OF WAP MUST BE SEEN.” As of now, the video has over 230,00 views and over one thousand comments.
We already know that “WAP” caused quite the stir last year because of its provocative lyrics. So, seeing a person act out “WAP”‘s lyrics through both ASL and body language was undeniably entrancing. Not to mention, the interpreter was signing incredibly fast—it’s obvious that the woman is extremely talented.
The internet’s reaction to the video was varied, from some people being fascinated by the ASL “WAP” interpretation to others questioning if Deaf people actually go to concerts.
People were saying things like, “I absolutely love sign language. It’s so interesting. Wish they taught it in grade school.” And, “I love that having sign language interpreters is both great for accessibility AND adds a whole new dimension to the performance.”
Of course, there were also quite a few people who were questioning why an ASL interpreter was even at a concert. Fortunately, there were plenty of Twitter users ready to educate them.
As one Twitter user wrote: “1. People who are Deaf/hard of hearing enjoy music. Especially at concerts bc you can feel the vibrations strongly. 2. Not everyone in the Deaf community has complete/total hearing loss. 3. Do musicians never talk at concerts? Do they never change things up or cover other songs?”
Since the video went viral, savvy internet sleuths discovered the talent interpreter’s name is Kelly and she goes by @kelly4access on Instagram.
Since her newfound fame, Kelly has made it clear that she was not the one who came up with the ASL interpretation of “WAP.” She rightly credited a Deaf Black woman named Raven who goes by @Freelove19xx on Twitter and Instagram. Kelly also uses her own Instagram page to “amplify the work of Deaf creators and to provide access to social media contact for the Deaf community.”
Naturally, Kelly has a flood of new Instagram followers, so she posted a statement educating her new followers on the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. “Do your part to make the world more accessible and caption your content!” she wrote. “Provide ASL interpreters whenever possible. Support Deaf creators. And if you’re still wondering why Deaf and hard of hearing people go to concerts, follow these pages and learn something new.”
Finally, she added: “Seeing an interpreter at a concert shouldn’t be shocking. Seeing a Deaf interpreter on tour with every artist should be the norm!”