An Atlanta rapper known for a popular song from 2015 has been sentenced to 30 years in jail after pleading guilty to killing his cousin.
Viral songs come and go, and occasionally they mark the beginning of a successful career. However, this is not always the case.
Within a few years of achieving international renown, one Atlanta rapper found himself on the wrong side of the law several times.
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Rapper Silentó was only 17 when his hit had people all over the world dancing to his catchy and unforgettable tune, which spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
If you remember 2015, you’ll recognize the rapper’s breakout single ‘Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae)’.
While you would have expected the musician – real name Richard Lamar Ricky Hawk – to establish himself in the music industry in the coming years, his legal troubles began in 2020.
On August 28, that year, he was first arrested and charged with physical injury to a spouse or cohabitant.
The next day, Hawk was arrested again while hunting for his girlfriend after reportedly walking into a stranger’s home with a hatchet.
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Fast forward to January 21, 2021, and he was booked into an Illinois jail on one count of murder after police responded to a’shots fired’ complaint in the early morning.
On June 11, the now-27-year-old was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally shooting his cousin, Frederick Rooks.
He pleaded guilty but mentally ill to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, carrying a firearm while committing a crime, and concealing the death of another.
As part of his plea agreement, another murder charge was withdrawn.
Police described how they reacted to reports of gunshots heard in a residential area, when they discovered Rooks bleeding in the street after being wounded in the face and leg.
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Unfortunately, he was pronounced deceased on the spot.
DeKalb County Police Department acknowledged in a statement at the time: “Ricky Hawk, 23, was arrested today for the murder of his cousin Frederick Rooks, 34.”
On January 21, the DeKalb County Police Department looked into Rooks’ death after he was discovered shot on Deep Shoals Circle. Hawk is currently being held in the DeKalb County Jail on murder charges.
Hawk’s publicist said after his arrest that the rapper had been suffering from ‘a series of mental health illnesses’ in the years leading up to the murder, adding: “We will continue in his efforts of treatment, but we ask in the meantime that the public uplift him and his family in immediate prayer and positive energy.”
Police said they discovered ten shell casings near Rooks’ body, and nearby security cameras captured a BMW SUV driving away from the scene.
A family member of Rooks later told police that Hawk had picked up Rooks in a white BMW SUV, and GPS data showed that vehicle was at the scene of the crime during the shooting.
Hawk was captured and confessed to the murder ten days later.
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