Rapper Behind 'Watch Me Whip' Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Killing His Cousin
Silentó admitted to the crime roughly 10 days after being arrested.
Cover image via Silentó, the Atlanta rapper known for his hit song Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), entered a guilty but mentally ill plea on Wednesday, 11 June, to the voluntary manslaughter of his 34-year-old cousin
Image via Fox 5 Atlanta
The 27-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, received a 30-year prison sentence, according to a statement from DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
Hawk also pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another. A murder charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
In the early hours of 21 January 2021, DeKalb County police discovered Frederick Rooks III dead outside a suburban home near Decatur, Georgia
Rooks sustained gunshot wounds to the leg and face. Investigators reported finding 10 bullet casings near Rooks' body, and security footage from a nearby residence captured a white BMW SUV rapidly leaving the scene shortly after gunshots were heard.
A relative of Rooks informed police that Silentó had picked him up in a white BMW SUV.
Further corroboration, including GPS data and additional camera footage, placed the vehicle at the location of the shooting.
Police confirmed that Silentó confessed approximately 10 days following his arrest.
Authorities added that ballistics testing subsequently matched the bullet casings found at the scene to a firearm found in Silentó's possession upon his arrest.
Silentó achieved widespread success with his debut single, Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), which he released as a high school junior in 2015
Image via Plugged In
The song proved to be an undeniable hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and accumulating over 400 million streams on Spotify since its release.
In the years that followed, he openly shared his struggles with mental health, and claims from his spokesperson suggested he attempted suicide in 2020.
His later years also saw multiple run-ins with law enforcement, notably an arrest in August 2020 for domestic violence.
The following October, he was arrested again for driving at 230km/h in DeKalb County.
