ASL Interpreter Manages To Catch Up With Rapper's Chop

All of us have been stuck on one major question at least at one point in life. "What do I want to do when I grow up?" Well, some of us want to be doctors, others firemen; some would love to become princesses and some pilots. But not often enough do you hear that someone wants to take the place of an energetic music interpreter for the hearing impaired.Show more

Many of us usually put ourselves first and think what would be the right thing for me, whereas, this lovely lady here has found a way to do both. Help others take joy in what they were previously limited in doing and also take part into helping other and feeling joy from doing it.

Holly Maniatty has top notch enthusiasm and it looks like she is the exact lady for the job. As many of us have the need to for bring something unique to our society, this lady is definitely the inspiration to pursue that dream.

Holly has dedicated lots of her time into learning the language to the extent where she can even interpret live concerts. She has also expressed a particular liking to hip hop/rap song that are very popular in the world. She is best known for her sign language interpreting at large festivals for rappers like Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

“I’ve always loved hip hop, I’ve always been really intrigued with the whole idea of being able to use words to convey multiple meanings. And then, becoming an interpreter, obviously, was kind of a natural marriage.”

The Firefly Music Festival is a four-day event that takes place in The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway, a 105-acre festival ground. This sign language extraordinaire took the stage alongside the big ones, but in this particular case, she is racing with Eminem’s chopping during his “Rap God” song. Or, should we say, overtaking the rapper and showing him a true rap god!

According to an interview Holly did with CBC, she got into interpreting shows like Eminem's after previously interpreting at a Marilyn Manson concert. But when it comes to interpreting hip hop shows, she does a lot of research and preparation before her performance.

“The way in which you are moving your body or titling your body conveys a lot of different power dynamics, which hip hop is big about,” said Holly. She studies the artist, their life and each song on the set list.

“For example, when I was getting ready for the Wu-Tang show, they talk about riots in the street. And at that time, the Ferguson riots were just kind of finishing up so of course your mind would jump there because that's a current event but you kind of have to take a moment,” she explains.

Rappers like Chance the Rapper are making the presence of interpreters like Holly mandatory at their shows. Last year, the Chicago rapper announced his live performances on tour would incorporate interpreters, and reserved 50 front row seats for the deaf and hard of hearing fans in his audiences.