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Rapper Silentó, widely recognized for his popular track “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has received a 30-year prison sentence for the murder of his cousin.
Known as Ricky Lamar Hawk, Silentó entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill on Wednesday, June 12, in DeKalb County, Georgia, concerning the 2021 fatal shooting of his cousin, Frederick Rooks, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Frederick Rooks was discovered dead with multiple gunshot wounds in a residence in Panthersville, Georgia, on January 21, 2021. He was 34 years old.
As stated by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Silentó, aged 27, accepted a plea deal that resulted in a guilty plea to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, illegal possession of a firearm during a felony, and concealing a death. The felony murder charge against him was dismissed, according to the outlet. Initially, Silentó was charged with malice murder after his arrest in February 2021. "Today, Ricky Hawk, 23, was taken into custody for the murder of his cousin Frederick Rooks, 34. On January 21, the DeKalb County Police Department looked into Rooks' death after discovering him shot on Deep Shoals Circle. Hawk is being held in the DeKalb County Jail on Murder charges," the DeKalb County Police Department stated in a message via X at that time.
His sentence will reflect credit for the time he has already served since his arrest in February 2021.
After his arrest, Silentó’s publicist, Chanel Hudson, expressed via social media that the rapper had been struggling with mental health challenges.
“Please send my client Silento some positive vibes,” Hudson stated, according to Complex. “For several years, Ricky has faced significant struggles due to various mental illnesses. We will persist in seeking his treatment, but we kindly ask the public to keep him and his family in their prayers and to send positive energy! Ricky is a wonderful person, and we hope that those who enjoyed his dancing and music will continue to support him through this time. God bless.”
Leading up to his February 2021 arrest, Silentó had several encounters with law enforcement. In August 2020, he was arrested twice in California on charges of domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. In October of that same year, he was arrested for speeding in DeKalb County, with no further information available about those cases.
The Georgia-born artist gained prominence in 2015 with “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” which has garnered over 1.9 billion views on YouTube, and the single peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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