A timeline of Atlanta rapper Silento's controversies and legal troubles over the years

On Monday, rapper Silento of the Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) fame, Silento was arrested after being charged with murder in the death of cousin brother, Frederick Rooks. On February 1, 2021, Georgia's DeKalb County Police Department broke the news of his arrest on their Twitter handle. Thus, here's taking a look at a timeline of the Seoul Music Award-winning rapper Silento's controversies and legal troubles. 

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Who is Silento?

Popularly known by his stage name Silento, Atlanta rapper Richard Lamar Hawk kick-started his career in the music industry back in June 2015 with the debut single Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae). The chartbuster song had hit the fifth spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become a viral dance song. In July 2015, the peppy track bagged the third spot on the Hot 100 chart and spent a whopping 51 weeks on the chart. However, he has been unable to match the milestone set by him because of facing legal troubles, including:

February 2017 

Silento's first brush with the law happened back in February 2017 when he was stopped from leaving the United Arab Emirates because of a business dispute. A court ruling issued against the rapper had ordered him to pay 300,000 dirhams to a local promoter after he did not perform at two of his scheduled shows in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The judgement had also imposed a travel ban on Silento and he was ordered to surrender his passport to the court.

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August 2020 

According to records by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, in August last year, Silento was taken into custody after he walked into a random home in LA's Valley Village neighbourhood. Apparently, the rapper was looking for his girlfriend with a hatchet in his hand. Ahead of that day, the 23-year-old was arrested and taken to the Orange County Sheriff's Department post claims of a domestic disturbance. 

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October 2020

Two months after being released from custody, Silento was arrested in October 2020 for driving at 143 mph in Georgia. A report by DeKalb County Police stated that the rapper was pulled over in a white BMW at around 3 am. As per the report, he had also argued with the officer about the same and had reportedly told him that he could go at the speed because he was not a 'regular person'.

February 2021

In Silento's cousin murder case, the artist was recently charged with brother Frederick Rooks' murder and arrested by the DeKalb County Police Department. On February 1, the police department took to Twitter to break the news and wrote, "Today, Ricky Hawk, 23, was arrested for the murder of his cousin Frederick Rooks, 34. On January 21, the DeKalb County Police Department investigated Rooks' death after he was found shot on Deep Shoals Circle. Hawk is in the DeKalb County Jail charged with Murder". Take a look:

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