Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sean Forbes

Sean Forbes Rapping. Author Jeffrey Sauger.WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sean Forbes

Sean Forbes is a hip-hop artist, rapper, songwriter, drummer, and communicator. The son of two Detroit musicians.

He has performed many live performances and several albums. A partner in establishing Deaf Professional Arts Network. The mission of the nonprofit D-PAN is to make sure that ASL is used to make music accessible to the Deaf community.

Let’s learn more about the Top 10 amazing facts about Sean Forbes

1. He became Deaf when he was just a Few Months Old

At the age of a few months, Sean lost his hearing. Most likely, spinal meningitis caused it. The doctor suspected spinal meningitis as the cause, but the cause was never formally identified. He lost 90% of his hearing by the time he was a year old.

“I became deaf at a couple of months old. I had a high fever and, although it was never officially diagnosed, it’s believed I became deaf as a result of spinal meningitis. I like to tell people that I became deaf because I was playing music too loud” he said in one of his interviews.

2. He was Born into a Musical Family

Sean comes from a musical family. The Forbes Brothers, a Detroit-based country-rock duo, were made up of his father, Scott Forbes. Interestingly enough, his mother plays the piano. Sean’s siblings and he played music together as kids. They all had different musical instruments, but only Sean actively pursued music as a profession.

“Music is something I’ve wanted to do my entire life. I was always around music, growing up. My parents played it during car trips, and we had all kinds of drums and guitars, and other instruments in our basement. At an early age, my brothers and I decided we wanted to develop careers in the music business. I’m the only deaf one in the family, and also the only one who, as an adult, actively pursued music as a career.” He said in one of his interviews.

3. His Parents Bought him a Drum Set at the Age of Five

When Sean was five years old, his parents noticed that he could create a steady rhythm. Sean listened to all of the music that his parents listened to. His parents then purchased him a drum set.

“When I was very young, my parents noticed I could make a rhythm that was consistent, like a beats-per-minute, essentially. When I was five, my parents bought me a drum set because they noticed my propensity for rhythm. I think it’s something that comes from inside.” He said

John Bee Badanjek instructed him in the art of drumming. Sean’s father was friends with Badanjek. He would therefore visit the house and instruct him. Sean was allowed to break into the music industry as a result. Sean began songwriting and playing the guy at the age of ten.

4. He Played in a Band with Childhood Friends

In high school, Sean played in a band with their old pals. In the future, he studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He discovered while attending RIT that many deaf and hard-of-hearing people enjoyed the music. However, they did not have access to music in the same way that he did growing up.

Thus, Sean used to interpret lyrics in American Sign Language. However, during his third year, he decided to take a break from school.

5. His Breakthrough Came when He a World-Famous Producer

Sean met recording studio owner and Eminem publisher, Joel Martin. He met him while attending Detroit Music Awards. Martin owns 54 sound studios in Ferndale. He gave Sean a piece of paper that said “Free Eminem Tickets E-mail Me”.

Over almost a year, Sean persisted in sending Martin emails. He visited Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf, during spring break in 2006 with some friends. He began transcribing every song he was familiar with into sign language while on this trip. This inspired him to produce music videos for the deaf in American Sign language.

He made a video signing Eminem’s song, Lose Yourself. He took that chance and called Joel Martin requesting if he could stop by the studio to show him his work.

When Forbes arrived at the studio, he was shocked to see Eminem seated there. Forbes then performed his American Sign Language version of Eminem’s Grammy-winning song “Lose Yourself” for Martin and Eminem. They were equally impressed. Unusually, he was able to secure an internship at Martin’s studio.

  6. The Co-Founder of the Deaf Professional Arts Network

Forbes observed that members of the Deaf community had a talent for singing songs in American Sign Language. Martin and Forbes thus collaborated to create the Deaf Professional Arts Network. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community have access to the internet thanks to D-PAN, a nonprofit organization. This is by creating pop song music videos that incorporate American Sign Language.

7. His First ASL Music Video was for a Song Called Where’d You Go

The song “Where’d You Go” was featured in Forbes’ first American Sign Language video. D-PAN shared the finished product with Shinoda after finishing it, but Shinoda didn’t like it and refused to give it his approval.

Forbes was displeased with Shinoda’s behavior. He believed that musicians did not want the Deaf community to be able to access their music. But D-PAN set out to find a performer whose song and the message would strike a chord with the deaf community.

He created a video of Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer. The D-PAN music video featured many members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Unexpectedly, the music video ended up becoming an anthem for the deaf community. D-PAN has produced music videos for several songs, including Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” (featuring Forbes), Owl City’s “Fireflies,” and “We’re Going to Be Friends” by The White Stripes. With the help of Jack White from The White Stripes, they also produced a music video for Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” which has received millions of views on YouTube.

8. He has Released Several Albums

Forbes released his full-length debut album on September 4, 2012. The album is known as Perfect Imperfection

Moreover, on February 21, 2020, Forbes released a new album called Little Victories. Due to this achievement, he threw a party at Third Record Cass Corridor to celebrate. He has also released other singles in his career.

9. Forbes co-founded DPAN.TV

Forbes wanted to focus on D-PAN. Thus, in 2015, he co-founded D-PAN TV. A Sign language Channel to make news and media accessible for the Deaf and hard of hearing community.

Content in sign language, voiceovers, and captions are produced by the media. Amazingly, DPAN.TV made history in 2016 by putting sign language interpreters on the screen and broadcasting the presidential debates in an accessible manner. Across the nation, it received more than 500,000 views.

10. He has Bagged Several Awards

He was awarded Outstanding Hip-Hop Artist/Group in 2013 (Detroit Music Awards). In 2018, he won the Detroit Music Awards’ Outstanding Rap Composer award. Furthermore, Outstanding Rap MC in 2019 (Detroit Music Awards).