American rapper, Silento sentenced to 30 years in prison

Rapper Silento, best known for his 2015 viral hit Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae), has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill to the 2021 shooting death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III

Rooks, 34, was found dead with gunshot wounds to the face and leg outside a home in the Decatur area of Georgia on January 21, 2021. According to court documents, Silento — whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk — had picked up his cousin in a white BMW SUV, and GPS data, along with surveillance footage, placed him at the scene of the shooting.

Authorities revealed that Silento confessed to the crime roughly 10 days after his arrest. Ballistic tests later confirmed that the shell casings at the scene matched a weapon found in his possession.

He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, firearm possession during a felony, and concealing the death of another. A murder charge was dropped as part of the plea deal. In court, family members of the victim expressed disappointment, saying the 30-year sentence was not long enough.

Once a high school student who shot to fame with a global dance craze, Silento’s life spiraled in the years that followed. He spoke publicly in 2019 about his struggles with depression, a difficult upbringing surrounded by mental illness and violence, and the pressure of fame.

“I’ve been fighting demons my whole life,” he said in a TV interview at the time. “Depression doesn’t go away when you become famous. It just adds more pressure.”

Before the killing, Silento had a string of legal issues in 2020 — including domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, and a high-speed chase in Georgia where he was clocked at 143 mph. His publicist later revealed he had attempted suicide that same year and was battling severe mental health challenges.

Now 27, Silento will serve his prison term with credit for time already spent in custody since his 2021 arrest.