The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper, 27-year-old Silentó, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2021 death of his cousin.
According to court records reviewed by USA TODAY, the musical artist, whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, on June 11 pleaded guilty but mentally ill to four charges: voluntary manslaughter – a reduced charge from his initial malice murder count – aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a felony crime, and concealing the death of his cousin, 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III.
Voluntary manslaughter came with a 20-year prison sentence, while the firearm possession and concealment of death counts entail five years each. Hawk has been in jail since his February 2021 arrest.
On Jan. 21, 2012, DeKalb County Police officers responded to a call in Panthersville, Georgia, about 10 miles southeast of Atlanta. Per police, Rooks was found with multiple gunshot wounds and ten bullet casings near him.
Hawk was arrested Feb. 1, 2021, after one of Rooks' family members told officers he was last seen with Hawk on a drive back from a friend's house. They were in a white BMW SUV that matched one seen in security footage.
