ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The rapper who blew up online in 2015 for his hit song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” will spend decades behind bars after he was convicted of shooting and killing his cousin in DeKalb County four years ago.

Richard Hawk, better known by his stage name Silentó, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and concealing the death of another on Wednesday, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.

The 27-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Early in the morning on Jan. 21, 2021, DeKalb County police were called to a reported shooting at the intersection of Deep Shoals Circle and Corners Crossing, a residential area in Panthersville.

When they arrived, officers found Frederick Rooks III, who had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators also found ten bullet casings near the body, the district attorney’s office said.

Security camera footage taken from a nearby home showed a white BMW SUV speeding away minutes after the shooting.

A family member said Rooks was last seen with Hawk, who had picked him up from a friend’s home in a car matching that description. Hawk, who was arrested on Feb. 1, admitted to shooting Rooks during a police interview, according to the district attorney’s office.

Police said GPS data from the vehicle showed the car was at the scene when the shooting happened, and the bullet casings were matched to a gun Hawk had when he was arrested.

Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.