27-year-old rapper Ricky Lamar Hawk, more famously recognized as Silento, received a sentence of 30 years imprisonment for the fatal incident involving his cousin that occurred in 2021.
In the year 2015, the 17-year-old Silento dominated American airwaves with his popular track “Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae.” This song, along with its dance routine, has become a lasting symbol within the realm of rap music.
Approximately six years after the event, on January 21, 2021, reports suggest that rapper Silento allegedly fatally shot his 34-year-old cousin, Frederick Rooks III. According to investigators, he confessed to the murder a few days later during questioning.
Originally charged with murder, the musician admitted his guilt for voluntary manslaughter, hiding someone’s death, aggravated assault, and illegal gun possession during the act of a crime. Additionally, he asserted that he suffered from mental illness at the time of the event.
Silento pleads guilty to killing cousin
On June 11, 2025, DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson made public that rapper Silento would spend 30 years in prison as punishment for his crime.
It remains unclear whether the murder charge against Silento was influenced by his plea, as the DeKalb County District Attorney has yet to disclose this information.
In their statement detailing the trial’s outcomes on January 21, 2021, the District Attorney did not disclose a motive for the shooting, but they did share some specifics about what transpired that day.
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but share the news about Silentó, the artist who brought us the ‘Whip/Nae Nae’ hit. Regrettably, he has been convicted and sentenced to serve 30 years in prison after admitting guilt in a tragic incident involving the murder of his cousin.
— TopMob (@TopMob) June 11, 2025
As stated, it was Hawk who retrieved his relative (cousin) from a friend’s residence early in the day. At 2:45 AM, a surveillance camera captured an image of his white BMW SUV, while the GPS tracking system located the vehicle at the crime scene later on.
At 3:30 PM, law enforcement officials arrived at an intersection in DeKalb’s Panthersville district, where they found Rooks suffering from several gunshot wounds. Additionally, they discovered ten empty bullet casings close to his body. These casings were later determined through ballistics testing to have come from the same firearm that was seized when Hawks was taken into custody.
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2025-06-11 23:18