Silento: ‘Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)’ Rapper Sentenced to 30 Years For Murder of …

Back in 2021, Silento was arrested for the murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks.

Now the rapper — whose real name is Ricky Hawk — has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Hawk became internationally famous in 2015 on the strength of his chart-topping single “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae.”

Silento will spend the next 30 years behind bars

On January 21, 2021, police discovered Rooks, 34, lying on a road in Panthersville, southeast of Atlanta, at about 3:30 a.m.

They later discovered surveillance footage that showed Silento fleeing the scene in a white BMW.

The rapper was promptly taken into custody and denied parole. He eventually pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm.

In the two years leading up to Rooks’ murder, Silento was arrested on at least four other occasions.

Silento’s history of violent and erratic behavior

Hawk was arrested twice in August 2020 on domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon charges after two separate incidents in Orange County and Los Angeles, respectively.

He was also taken into custody on August 28 following an alleged domestic disturbance and released on a charge of inflicting corporal punishment on a spouse or cohabitant.

The following year, Hawk was arrested after being spotted in Los Angeles holding a hatchet in his hand, allegedly looking for his girlfriend.

Silento was awaiting trial on those charges when he was arrested for the murder of his cousin.

Silento’s history of mental health issues

Hawk’s family notes that his mental health issues were well-documented, even before his long string of arrests.

After his arrest for his cousin’s murder, Silento’s reps told TMZ that the rapper had been battling a “series of mental health illnesses”

They noted that he had even booked an appearance on medical talk show The Doctors for an episode about severe depression, but he never followed through.

While he was unable to repeat the success of “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae,” there was a time when Silento was one of the biggest names in hip hop.

The video for his hit song has been streamed nearly 2 billion times on YouTube.

We hope that everyone involved in this tragedy can eventually find some sort of healing.

Silento: ‘Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)’ Rapper Sentenced to 30 Years For Murder of … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.