Silentó, the rapper behind “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his cousin.
Silentó, the Atlanta rapper who shot to fame with the viral 2015 dance anthem “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday (June 11) in DeKalb County after pleading guilty but mentally ill to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his cousin.
The 26-year-old performer, born Ricky Lamar Hawk, admitted to fatally shooting 34-year-old Frederick Rooks in January 2021 outside a home in Decatur, Georgia.
Prosecutors said Silentó fired multiple rounds at Rooks, who was found dead at the scene with several gunshot wounds.
Silentó entered his plea as part of a deal that included additional guilty pleas to aggravated assault and gun possession during the commission of a felony.
The court accepted the plea on the condition that Silentó receives mental health treatment while incarcerated.
His legal team said Silentó had long battled mental illness, including a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, citing a documented history of psychiatric hospitalizations and erratic behavior leading up to the killing.
Silentó had been arrested several times in the months before the shooting, including for domestic violence and weapons charges.
In one 2020 incident, he was accused of walking into a stranger’s home with a hatchet while searching for his girlfriend.
Investigators said Silentó believed Rooks was conspiring against him, a delusion reportedly tied to his mental health struggles. No evidence ever supported that claim.
His breakout hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” made him a household name at just 17, racking up millions of views on YouTube and earning him a spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
But his rapid rise was followed by a series of legal and personal troubles that derailed his music career.
