Curious why Silentó’s name is back in the headlines? The rapper behind the 2015 hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his cousin in 2021. His mental health struggles and viral fame have resurfaced in the public conversation.
Here’s what we know about Silentó’s jail sentence and the case behind it.
Why is Silentó sentenced to 30 years in jail?
Silentó, 27, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his cousin, Frederick Rooks, 34, in January 2021 in DeKalb County, Georgia. The artist, best known for his 2015 viral hit “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
The plea deal allowed him to avoid a potential life sentence. According to reports, police found Rooks with multiple gunshot wounds in a Decatur, Georgia neighborhood shortly after midnight on January 21, 2021. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene, located about seven miles northeast of Atlanta (via New York Times).
Witnesses heard gunshots, and doorbell camera footage captured a white BMW SUV speeding away moments after the incident. Prosecutors said investigators linked Silentó to the crime after a family member spoke to the police. They stated that Rooks was last seen entering a vehicle matching the description with Silentó.
According to the district attorney’s office, the “No Sense” rapper admitted to shooting Rooks while in police custody. Silentó’s lawyer did not comment on the sentencing. However, his publicist had previously stated that the artist had suffered from “a series of mental health illnesses.”
Following the arrest, his publicist Chanel Hudson addressed the situation on Instagram, writing, “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.”
Silentó has openly discussed his mental health struggles since gaining fame with “Watch Me.” In a 2019 interview on The Doctors, he said, “Depression doesn’t leave you when you become famous.” He added, “It just adds more pressure. I don’t know if I can truly be happy. I don’t know if these demons will ever go away.”
