Silento, known for his popular song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has officially been sentenced to 30 years in prison. This comes after the rapper pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2021 death of his cousin.
Related: Katy Perry Rocked By Major Arrest Months After Blue Origin Backlash
Who is Silento?
Silento’s real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, and he is 27 years old.
As a 17-year-old high schooler, Hawk integrated the dance moves “whip” and “nae nae” into the 2015 hit “Watch Me.” The song spent 51 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 and peaked at number three.
Later, Hawk released a few more albums, including a March 2021 record called “Bars Behind Bars” that came out while he was incarcerated.
The Charges Against Silento
The Atlanta rapper pleaded guilty but mentally ill to four charges.
The main charge was voluntary manslaughter, reduced from his initial malicious murder count, with the other charges being aggravated assault, possessing a gun while committing a crime, and concealing the death of another.
The charge is connected to the shooting death of his 34-year-old cousin, Frederick Rooks III.
The voluntary manslaughter charge has a 20-year prison sentence, while the firearm possession and concealment of death charges count for five years each. Hawk will serve 30 years for the offense and has been in jail since his February 2021 arrest.
Check Out: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour Flops As She Struggles To Sell Tickets Amidst ‘Middle-Aged Fan’ Problem
The Crime in 2021
The crime happened on the morning of January 21st, 2021.
The DeKalb County Police Department found Hawk’s cousin suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, with 10 bullet casings near his body. Rooks was pronounced dead at the scene.
While investigating the scene, security camera footage revealed a white BMW SUV fleeing the area minutes after the gunfire. Officers confirmed it was the same vehicle Hawk used to pick up Rooks, and Hawk was taken into custody on February 1st, 2021.
During an interview, Hawk admitted to shooting Rooks, with ballistics matching his statement.
Downward Spiral After Fame
Silento had been struggling for a while before his arrest.
The artist struggled with depression and a violent family past, even trying to kill himself in 2020, according to his publicist, Chanel Hudson. When addressing his depression, Silento said, “I’ve been fighting demons my whole life, my whole life.”
In August 2020, Hawk was arrested in Santa Ana on a domestic violence charge. Just a day later, he was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on an assault with a deadly weapon charge after swinging a hatchet at two people looking for his girlfriend.
Later, in October 2020, Hawk was arrested after driving 143 miles per hour on Interstate 85 in DeKalb County.
Also Read: Billy Ray Cyrus Slammed As Being ‘Hungry For Fame’ By His Own Son – ‘You’re The Lamest Man…’
Family Reactions of the Victim
While Silento got 30 years in prison, Rooks’s family is not satisfied.
Brothers and sisters of Rooks told the DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Courtney L. Johnson that Hawk should have gotten a longer sentence.
More About:Celebrity News