Platinum Rapper Silento, Known for 'Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae),' Indicted for Murder in Georgia

A rapper with a platinum song has now been indicted for murder. 

Richard “Ricky” Hawk, better known by the stage name Silento, was arrested in February in connection with the shooting death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks, according to Georgia’s Dekalb County Police Department. 

Hawk has been held behind bars pending trial with no bond since then.

In early August, a grand jury indicted the rapper on four felony charges, including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and gun possession during the commission of a felony.

Silento was just 17 years old when the song “Watch Me (Whip / Nae)” went platinum in 2015. 

At the time, Silento told Vibe Magazine that he would not perform songs with curse words in them because parents wouldn’t buy that music for their kids.

In a statement to Inside Edition Digital, Hawk’s attorney Daryl Queen said, “He currently does not have an upcoming court date, but when that day comes, we will be entering a plea of 'NOT GUILTY' as we look forward to the appropriate time and place to address these allegations.”

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