Silento: ‘Watch Me’ rapper charged with murdering his cousin
Authorities say the 23-year-old Atlanta artist is being held in Georgia
Silento, the Atlanta rapper known for his hit song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)”, has been arrested and charged with murder of his 34-year-old cousin, according to authorities.
DeKalb County police said in a statement on Twitter that the 23-year-old rapper, whose legal name is Ricky Hawk, was arrested and is being held in jail in Georgia.
He has been charged with murder in connection with the 21 January death of Frederick Rooks.
Hawk had a hit with his single “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” in 2015, which reached No 3 in America and No 19 in the UK. The video has been watched more than 1.7 billion times on YouTube.
According to XXL magazine, Rooks was found bleeding heavily after suffering gunshot wounds to his face and leg. He was pronounced dead at the scene at around 3.30am.
Read more - Rapper Silento charged with assault after allegedly attacking two strangers with a hatchet
In 2020, Hawk was arrested twice - once following an incident with a hatchet and another time on driving charges, according to TMZ.