Rapper Silentó Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Killing Cousin in 2021 Shooting
- Victor Nwoko
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Silentó, the rapper who rose to fame with the viral 2015 hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges stemming from the fatal shooting of his cousin, Frederick Rooks, in January 2021.
Silentó, whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill to a series of serious charges, including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. A more severe charge of malice murder was reduced as part of a plea deal, and a felony murder charge was dismissed.
The 27-year-old Atlanta native will serve 30 years behind bars, with credit for time served since February 2021.
Rooks, 34, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds to the face and leg in the early hours of January 2021. Officers from the DeKalb County Police Department responded to the scene and declared Rooks deceased. Bullet casings recovered at the crime scene were matched to a firearm in Hawk’s possession at the time of his arrest. Hawk confessed to the shooting shortly after being taken into custody.
At the time of the arrest, Silentó’s publicist, Chanel Hudson, released a statement indicating the rapper had long struggled with serious mental health conditions. “Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental illnesses,” Hudson wrote, urging the public to offer prayers and support to Hawk and his family.
Silentó gained international fame as a high school junior when he released “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” a track that inspired countless dance videos and amassed over 400 million Spotify streams. The single peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2015 and established Hawk as a breakout star.
However, in the years following his sudden success, the rapper publicly battled mental illness. In 2020, Hudson disclosed that he had attempted suicide. Hawk also had several run-ins with the law, including an August 2020 arrest for domestic violence and an October 2020 charge for driving 143 miles per hour in DeKalb County.
The court’s decision marks the latest chapter in a tragic downfall, turning a once-celebrated viral sensation into a cautionary tale of fame, mental illness, and violence.
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