Silentó Sentenced to Three Decades in Prison for Cousin's Death

Silentó, the rapper best known for his viral 2015 hit "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2021 killing of his cousin.

Ricky Lamar Hawk, 27, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, to charges including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office in Georgia.

The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Hawk's cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds on January 21, 2021, in the Panthersville area of unincorporated Decatur.

Police responded to the scene after neighbors reported hearing gunfire. Surveillance footage showed a white BMW SUV leaving the area around the time of the shooting.

Authorities later linked Hawk to the crime after matching shell casings at the scene to a weapon in his possession. GPS data also placed his vehicle at the crime location.

Investigators noted that Hawk had picked up Rooks from a friend's house shortly before the shooting occurred.

"This was not a crime of passion or a crime of a morally depraved person. He was mentally ill," Hawk's attorney, Keith Adams, told ABC News. "Unfortunately, Ricky's mental illness has been an issue since the age of 12, even during his success as an artist and beyond."

Adams explained that by pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter instead of facing a murder conviction, Hawk remains eligible for parole within the next decade. A murder conviction would have required at least 30 years before parole eligibility.

Due to his plea and mental health history, Hawk is expected to serve his sentence in a facility equipped to provide psychiatric care.