Silentó, a US rapper who provoked a viral dance riot with the global hit Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae), has been arrested and charged with the murder of his cousin.
The 23-year-old rapper, real name Richard Hawk, is accused of killing Frederick Rooks, 34, in the southeast bank of Atlanta. Rooks was shot in the face and leg and was pronounced dead at the scene. Security photos showed several cars fleeing the area after the attack.
“After a thorough investigation, Hawk investigators identified Rooks as a cousin, and the person responsible for Rooks’ murder, ”the DeKalb County police department said in a statement. “Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the shooting.” Hawk is being held at DeKalb County Jail.
Hawk’s only hit as Silentó, Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae), was released in 2015, reaching No. 3 in the US charts and No. 19 in the UK. Inspired by the popularity of the accompanying dance, his music video is the 83rd largest YouTube video ever viewed, with 1.79bn views.
He was also a small guest on Dawin’s Dessert in 2015, but hasn’t reached the U.S. Top 100 since.
In August 2020, he was arrested and charged with an alleged domestic violence incident in Orange County, California, and was subsequently released. The next day he was arrested again, after entering the home of an alien with an ax while searching for his girlfriend, according to Los Angeles police. He was charged with two counts of assault with a lethal weapon and was released on bail, although the bail was reinstated after failing at a court hearing next month. His next court hearing was scheduled for March.
In October, he was recorded driving at 143mph on the Atlanta highway, and said he was trying to be followed after a nightclub appearance.