Silento sentenced

Silento has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars in connection with his cousin’s 2021 shooting death. Photo Credit: Emiliano Bar

Georgia-born rapper Silentó (real name Richard Hawk) has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars in connection with the 2021 shooting death of his cousin.

The office of Dekalb County DA Sherry Boston confirmed Silentó’s plea deal and sentence in a brief release. Per that source, the 27-year-old avoided a murder charge and “pleaded guilty but mentally ill” to counts including aggravated assault and voluntary manslaughter.

Taken into custody in February 2021, the “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” artist then received the aforesaid 30-year sentence. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, siblings of the victim, Frederick Rooks, criticized the punishment as insufficient.

Nevertheless, even with credit for time served, this sentence is set to run past 2050. And while nobody wants to spend decades in prison, ample evidence suggests that the far-from-ideal situation is even worse for celebrities including Tory Lanez, R. Kelly, and now Silentó.

As for what brought about the turn of events – which, besides claiming the victim’s life, have seen Silentó throw his own life away – most local coverage is light on concrete details. Bearing in mind the plea’s mental illness component, however, the rapper’s then-publicist mentioned “a series of mental health illnesses” shortly after Silentó’s arrest.

“Please send my client Silentó some positive vibrations,” the statement reads in part. “Over the past several years, Ricky has been suffering immensely from a series of mental health illnesses. We will continue in his efforts of treatment, but we ask in the meantime the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer and positive energy!!”

Regarding the crime itself, which followed multiple arrests on unrelated charges, police in January 2021 responded to an early morning report of a gunshot victim in a residential area.  

Rooks was pronounced dead at the scene, where police are said to have recovered 10 bullet casings. Per the DA’s office, security footage quickly linked Silentó’s vehicle to the crime, and family members told authorities the rapper had picked up Rooks in the same vehicle earlier that day.

From there, Silentó admitted to the crime; GPS tracking also linked him to the scene, and the above-noted casings matched a firearm in his possession when arrested, according to the release.

Between YouTube and Spotify, the original “Nae Nae” – a line of remixes followed – has racked up about 2.4 billion streams since releasing in 2015.