One minute you're seventeen, standing in your high school hallway, and the next, you’ve basically invented a global language of movement. That was the reality for Ricky Lamar Hawk—the world knows him as Silentó. Most of us remember the 2015 summer where you couldn't walk into a grocery store or a wedding reception without hearing that infectious instruction to "whip" and "nae nae." But the story didn't end with a viral dance.
Honestly, it took a much darker, more complicated turn than most fans realize. While the world was busy perfecting the stanky leg, Hawk was battling "demons" that would eventually lead him from the top of the Billboard charts to a prison cell in Georgia.
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The Evolution of Silentó: Aye Bae Bae and the Post-Viral Struggle
By 2019, Silentó was trying to prove he wasn't just a one-hit-wonder. He released "Aye Bae Bae," a track that felt like a deliberate attempt to capture that same summertime energy that made him a household name. It was part of his project SilentóMOB: The Doctor’s Exclusive, and later appeared on his debut full-length effort, Fresh Outta High School.
The song is a bouncy, club-adjacent record. It’s got that signature Atlanta snap, but it lacked the "lightning in a bottle" simplicity of his debut. In the music video, you see a matured Hawk—no longer just the kid in the red vest, but a young man trying to navigate a fickle industry.
The track was supposed to be a bridge. He told interviewers at the time that he had "graduated" and was ready for people to see him as a serious artist. But the industry moves fast. When you're the "Whip/Nae Nae guy," people often don't want you to be anything else. This disconnect between who he was and who the public wanted him to be seemingly fueled a mounting mental health crisis.
What Most People Get Wrong About His "Downfall"
It’s easy to look at a celebrity's legal troubles and write them off as "another star losing their way." But with Silentó, the reality was deeply rooted in a history of trauma that predated his fame. During an appearance on the talk show The Doctors in 2019—the same year Silentó Aye Bae Bae was released—he got incredibly raw about his upbringing.
He wasn't just some pampered pop star. He spoke about being born with drugs in his system and witnessing horrific family violence as a child. "I’ve been fighting demons my whole life," he admitted.
People often assume the "fame" ruined him. In reality, the fame just acted as a magnifying glass. He was already struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and severe depression. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the structure of touring and performing disappeared. That’s when things truly spiraled.
The 2021 Tragedy and the 30-Year Sentence
The most shocking part of the story happened in the early morning hours of January 21, 2021. DeKalb County police responded to a shooting in the Panthersville area and found Frederick Rooks III, who was actually Silentó’s cousin, dead in the street.
The evidence was overwhelming. GPS data from Hawk's white BMW SUV placed him at the scene. Ballistics matched the casings to a gun he had on him during his arrest. Perhaps most chillingly, Hawk eventually admitted to the shooting.
The legal battle dragged on for years, but it finally reached a resolution in June 2025. Ricky Hawk pleaded "guilty but mentally ill" to voluntary manslaughter. This wasn't a standard plea; it was a recognition of the severe psychiatric issues his team had been shouting about for years.
He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
He’s currently serving that time in the Georgia Department of Corrections. His publicist, Chanel Hudson-O'Connor, has stated that he is "deeply sorry" and is using his time to focus on his mental health and, surprisingly, continuing to write music.
Why We Should Still Care About the Music
It’s hard to reconcile the fun, lighthearted energy of a song like Silentó Aye Bae Bae with the grim reality of a 30-year prison sentence. But his career serves as a cautionary tale for the music industry.
He was a teenager when he became a global sensation. He had 6x Platinum records but, by his own account, lacked the "proper guidance or direction" to handle the mental toll.
- The Viral Trap: He was boxed into a "dance rapper" category that made it hard for subsequent tracks to gain traction.
- The Mental Health Gap: Despite his public pleas for help on national television, the system didn't catch him before the tragedy occurred.
- Legacy: Even now, in 2026, "Watch Me" still gets millions of plays. The art has become entirely separated from the artist.
If you’re looking to understand the full scope of Silentó’s career, don't just stop at the dance videos. Listen to the Fresh Outta High School project. You can hear a young man trying to find his voice while the world around him was already starting to crumble.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Industry Observers
The best way to engage with this story now is to look at the broader context of artist wellness. Supporting programs like MusiCares or the Black Mental Health Alliance helps ensure that the next viral teenager has the support system Silentó clearly lacked. If you're revisiting his music, do so with the nuance of knowing the human being behind the "whip"—a person who is now spending his prime years behind bars, hoping for a version of redemption that music alone might not be able to provide.