Watch Me Rapper Silento Sentected To 30 Years In Jail

In 2015, you possibly can not keep away from teenage rapper Silentó’s track “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” The track was a viral hit, and the music video acquired over 1.9 billion views on YouTube. Now, a decade later, the rapper is trending once more, however not for one more smash hit, however for homicide.

Silentó, 27, whose actual title is Ricky Hawk, was first arrested for the homicide on February 1st, 2021, per BBC. 4 years later, on Wednesday (June eleventh), Hawk was charged with voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault within the taking pictures of his cousin, Frederick Rocks III, after pleading responsible however mentally unwell, in keeping with Fox5 Atlanta.

Again on January 21, 2021, officers responded at 3:37 a.m. to a report of a taking pictures in DeKalb County, Georgia. The rapper’s cousin, Frederick Rooks III, was discovered affected by a number of gunshot wounds, and ten bullet casings had been discovered close to Rooks’s physique. When EMS arrived on the scene, Rooks was confirmed lifeless, per the Workplace of the DeKalb County District Lawyer.

A relative instructed officers that Rooks and Hawk had been final seen collectively after Hawk picked up his cousin in a white BMW SUV, in keeping with PEOPLE. This identical car was captured fleeing the scene on residence safety footage after residents within the space heard gunshots.

After pleading responsible this week, Hawk was sentenced to 30 years in jail by DeKalb County Superior Court docket Decide Courtney Johnson, per the Workplace of the DeKalb County District Lawyer.

Hawk’s publicist, Chanel Hudson, shared a press release on social media following his arrest, in keeping with Selection. The assertion learn:

“Over the previous a number of years, Ricky has been struggling immensely from a sequence of psychological sicknesses. We are going to proceed in his efforts of remedies, however we ask within the meantime the general public uplift him and his household in fast prayer & constructive power,” the assertion learn.

Selection additionally acknowledged that Silentó had a number of run-ins with regulation enforcement, together with an arrest in August of 2020 for home violence.

The information of Silentó’s sentencing has blown up on social media, notably on X, with a combined bag of reactions. Some commenters are questioning whether or not rap is the problem.

“Nonetheless ain’t blaming the tradition although proper,” posted one person in response to the information.

Whereas others expressed concern for each the rapper and his cousin: “Wow, 30 years for Silentó? That is heavy, RIP to his cousin, such a tragic state of affairs. Life has its personal twists and turns.”

The 2015 hit track, “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” turned the track of the summer season. In 2019, it was named by Billboard as one of many songs that outlined the last decade. The Atlanta rapper turned an in a single day sensation on the age of 17, and the catchy tune peaked at No. 3 for six weeks on the Billboard Scorching 100.