From Viral Fame to Prison Time: Rapper Silento Gets 30 Years for Killing His Cousin

Atlanta rapper Ricky “Silento” Hawk, 27, has been sentenced to three decades behind bars following a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and related charges tied to his cousin’s 2021 death.

The tragic events unfolded in the early hours of January 21st, 2021, in DeKalb County, Georgia. Police were called to a residence on Deep Shoals Circle, where 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to investigators, neighbors heard gunfire and a security camera captured a white BMW SUV fleeing shortly thereafter. One of Rooks’ relatives recalled, “He was last seen with Silento, who picked him up from a friend’s home in a white SUV.”

Authorities eventually zeroed in on Silento as the shooter. After his arrest, prosecutors say he “admitted shooting Rooks,” and bullet casings found at the scene matched a firearm in his possession.

In his defense, Silento’s PR manager, Chanel Hudson, urged compassion for the rapper, saying:
“Please send my client Silento some positive vibrations. Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental health illnesses…We ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer and positive energy!! Ricky is a beautiful soul, and we hope that the same people who came up whipping’ & nay nay-in with him, continue to support him and lifted in prayer!! God bless”

Silento first rose to fame in 2015 while attending Redan High School in Stone Mountain with his viral hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sparked a global dance trend. In 2019, he released his debut album, “Fresh Outta High School.”

Before this case, he faced legal trouble in 2020: once for speeding at 143 mph on I‑85 in DeKalb and another time for allegedly swinging a hatchet at two people in their Los Angeles home.