Atlanta rapper Ricky “Silento” Hawk, who once had the world dancing with his viral hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)”, has now been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and other charges tied to the 2021 killing of his cousin.
The tragic incident happened on January 21, 2021, in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Police responded to a call on Deep Shoals Circle, where they found 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III dead from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a white BMW SUV speeding away shortly after neighbors heard gunfire. Investigators soon learned that Rooks had last been seen with Silento, who had picked him up in a white SUV earlier that evening.
The evidence quickly pointed to the rapper, and authorities later confirmed that bullet casings at the scene matched a firearm found in Silento’s possession. According to prosecutors, he admitted to the shooting following his arrest.
As news of the sentence made headlines, Silento’s longtime PR manager, Chanel Hudson, released a public plea for compassion.
“Please send my client Silento some positive vibrations,” she wrote. “Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental health illnesses… He is a beautiful soul, and we hope the same people who came up whipping and nae-nae-ing with him continue to support him and lift him in prayer.”
Silento was just a teen in high school when he shot to superstardom in 2015. His debut single “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, spawning one of the biggest dance crazes of the decade. He later dropped his first album, Fresh Outta High School, in 2019.
But as the fame faded, Silento’s personal struggles began making headlines.
In 2020 alone, he was arrested for driving 143 mph on a Georgia highway and later for allegedly swinging a hatchet at strangers inside a Los Angeles home. His erratic behavior led many to speculate about deeper issues behind the scenes.
Now at 27 years old, Silento is facing a long road ahead — one marked not by viral dance moves, but by the heavy weight of a life forever changed.
