Atlanta 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 killing his cousin in 2021.
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Richard “Ricky” Lamar Hawk, entered a guilty plea last month in DeKalb County Superior Court.
Prosecutors say Silentó shot and killed his cousin, Frederick Rooks, outside a home in Panthersville, Georgia, in January 2021. When police arrived at the scene, they found Rooks lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds.
Surveillance footage from nearby homes helped police identify Silentó as the shooter. He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with murder, aggravated assault, gun possession, and other offenses.
As part of a plea deal, Silentó pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of gun possession during the commission of a felony. In return, the murder charge and several other counts were dropped. The judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison, with 10 years of probation to follow.
Silentó had been in custody since his arrest and had faced several legal troubles even before the murder case. In 2020, he was arrested in Los Angeles for walking into a stranger’s home with a hatchet, and he also faced domestic violence charges.
His attorney said Silentó has long struggled with mental health issues and was in a “dark place” at the time of the shooting. Family members of both the victim and the rapper were present in court. Some expressed deep sadness over how the situation ended, while others said they hoped this sentence would bring some closure.
Silentó rose to fame as a teenager with his hit song “Watch Me,” which went viral and became a dance craze on social media. But after that success, he largely disappeared from the music scene and reportedly dealt with several personal struggles.
Now, at just 26, Silentó is facing decades behind bars. His legal team has not said whether they plan to appeal the sentence.