About Silentó
Richard Lamar Hawk (born January 23, 1998), known professionally as Silentó, is an American former rapper. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Hawk is best known for his 2015 debut single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)", which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 when he was 19 years old. Hawk is currently serving a 30-year sentence for the murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III. In 2021, he was arrested in DeKalb County, Georgia, after a string of arrests for various crimes and charged with the murder of his cousin. In 2025, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. == Early life == Richard Lamar Hawk was born on January 23, 1998 in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has stated that he was born with multiple drugs found in his system, including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and that he grew up seeing his family members attempting to kill one another and talking to walls. At age 14, he lived with his great-aunt and was soon placed in a juvenile detention center. He was raised in Atlanta, where he began performing music as part of a group while in eighth grade before making solo music as a high-schooler. == Career == Hawk chose the stage name Silentó based on his goal of being "less talk and more action". Prompted by losing a high school talent show, Hawk independently released his debut single, "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)", as Silentó on SoundCloud in January 2015.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.