‘Watch Me’ rapper Silentó gets 30 years for 2021 cousin murder

Rapper Silentó has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting his cousin in 2021.

Rapper Silentó, best known for his viral 2015 hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.

The 27-year-old artist, whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to multiple charges, including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. As part of a plea agreement, the original malice murder charge was reduced, and a felony murder charge was dropped.

The fatal incident occurred in January 2021 in DeKalb County, Georgia. Rooks, 34, was found shot in the face and leg and was pronounced dead at the scene. Ballistic evidence linked Silentó to the crime, and he confessed shortly after his arrest.

Silentó will serve 30 years in prison, with credit for time served since February 2021. His legal team emphasized his mental health struggles, which had been publicly acknowledged by his former publicist, who previously stated the rapper had suffered from multiple mental health conditions and attempted suicide in 2020.

The Atlanta rapper skyrocketed to fame in 2015 with his dance anthem “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, in the years that followed, he faced a series of legal troubles, including arrests for domestic violence and reckless driving.

This tragic case highlights the intersection of mental health issues and criminal justice, closing a dark chapter in Silentó’s once-promising career.