Rapper Silento, known for the viral hit "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)", received a 30-year prison sentence this week after admitting guilt in the fatal shooting of his cousin. The 27-year-old artist, legally named Ricky Lamar Hawk, entered a "guilty but mentally ill" plea on June 11 regarding the 2021 killing of 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III.
Court documents confirm Hawk faced reduced charges from initial murder accusations, ultimately convicted of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, firearm possession during a felony, and concealing Rooks' death. The manslaughter conviction carries a 20-year term, while weapon and concealment charges each add five years. Hawk has remained incarcerated since his February 2021 arrest.
The tragedy unfolded near Atlanta on January 21, 2021, when DeKalb County police discovered Rooks' body with multiple gunshot wounds in Panthersville, Georgia. Investigators recovered ten bullet casings at the scene.
Authorities arrested Hawk after relatives revealed he was the last person seen with Rooks before the homicide. Security footage placed both men in a white BMW SUV matching the vehicle Hawk used during their final encounter. During police questioning, Hawk reportedly confessed to shooting his cousin.
This conviction follows another violent incident involving Hawk in Southern California. While out on bail in 2020, he allegedly invaded a stranger's home and threatened two occupants with a hatchet before being disarmed. That separate case remains active.
Hawk rose to fame as a teenager when his 2015 single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" became a global dance phenomenon. The track spent nearly a full year on Billboard's Top 100 chart, peaking at number three.
Despite releasing music during his incarceration, including the 2021 album "Bars Behind Bars", Hawk's legacy is now overshadowed by violence. In a 2015 interview at the height of his fame, he reflected: "It was an awesome opportunity making this song... people can just be like, 'Wow, you did it.'"
The musician will serve his full sentence concurrently, with credit applied for time already served since 2021.