• Silentó sentenced to 30 years for the 2021 shooting of his cousin Frederick Rooks III.
• The rapper pleaded guilty but mentally ill to several charges, including voluntary manslaughter.
• His attorney emphasized Silentó's long-standing mental health issues, affecting his actions.
• As part of the plea deal, a murder charge was dropped, and he may qualify for parole.

Silentó, the Atlanta rapper renowned for his viral hit "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges related to the 2021 shooting death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III. The legal name of the 27-year-old artist is Ricky Lamar Hawk. Alongside voluntary manslaughter, he also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, possessing a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another, while a murder charge was dropped as part of the plea deal, according to SFGate, CBS News, and ABC News.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of January 21, 2021, when the police found Rooks with multiple gunshot wounds outside a home in DeKalb County, Georgia. Evidence included 10 bullet casings at the scene and security video showing Silentó's white BMW fleeing the area shortly after the shooting. A family member confirmed that Hawk had picked Rooks up shortly before the incident, further linking him to the crime, according to HuffPost and SFGate.

Silentó's attorney, Keith Adams, detailed that the rapper has struggled with mental health issues since age 12. He stated, "This was not a crime of passion or a crime of a morally depraved person," emphasizing that Hawk's mental illness influenced his actions. This context was pivotal in the legal proceedings, as the plea of guilty but mentally ill acknowledges his condition and provides a path for treatment rather than traditional incarceration, according to ABC News, CBS News, and HuffPost.

As part of the sentencing, Adams indicated that by pleading to voluntary manslaughter, Silentó may be eligible for parole within the next decade. Traditionally, a murder conviction would have barred him from parole for at least 30 years. The rapper will initially be placed at the Georgia Diagnostic Center, where he will receive assistance tailored to his mental health needs, as stated by his attorney, corroborating information from ABC News and HuffPost.