Silentó Sentenced for Manslaughter
Silentó, the Atlanta rapper famous for his hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” has been convicted of voluntary manslaughter along with other charges linked to the shooting death of his cousin in 2021. At just 27 years old, he faces a 30-year prison term, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Shelley Boston.
The rapper, whose real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk, also admitted to an aggravated assault in which he was found to have possessed a firearm. A murder charge has been dismissed as part of a plea deal.
On January 21, 2021, police responded to a shooting near a suburban home close to Decatur, where they discovered Frederick Rooses III had been shot. Investigators found ten shell casings at the scene, and security footage captured a white BMW SUV speeding away just after shots rang out.
Members of Rooses’ family informed authorities that Silentó had been seen picking him up in the same SUV. GPS data and surveillance footage corroborated this account.
About ten days post-arrest, Silentó confessed, and ballistic testing linked the gun found during his arrest to the casings at the crime scene.
During the court proceedings, Rooses’ siblings urged the judge, Courtney L. Johnson, to impose a harsher sentence on the rapper. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on their emotional plea.
Silentó shot to fame in 2015 while still in high school, releasing his viral single that became a staple in dance culture. In a 2019 interview with a medical talk show, he discussed his difficult upbringing, revealing a family history of mental illness and violence.
“I’ve battled my demons my whole life,” he shared back then. He noted that fame doesn’t alleviate struggles with depression but, rather, can intensify them. “People watch and judge,” he said, acknowledging the added pressure fame brings. “I don’t know if these demons will ever disappear.”
Prior to his legal troubles, Silentó appeared to be struggling. According to his spokesperson, Chanel Hudson, he had attempted suicide in 2020.
In August 2020, he faced domestic violence charges in California, where he wielded a weapon while looking for a girlfriend, according to witness statements. The next month, he was arrested for speeding at 143 miles per hour on an interstate in DeKalb County.
Hudson has stated that during the time of his cousin’s murder, Silentó was “suffering from a series of mental health issues.”
