Key Takeaways:
- Silentó received a 30-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to killing his cousin in 2021.
- The case highlights the young artist’s history of facing mental health challenges.
- He broke his silence to share his “truth” with fans in his first public statement since the sentencing.
Silentó, the one-time rising rapper from Atlanta, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday (June 11) in connection to the January 2021 murder of his cousin, Frederick Rooks III. He confessed to the crime soon after the incident and has remained behind bars in DeKalb County since.
During his court appearance, he pleaded guilty but mentally ill as part of a plea deal. His charges include voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm during a felony, aggravated assault, and concealing a death. The former Capitol Records breakout star addressed the public in a statement released on his behalf via his publicist, Chanel Hudson-O’Connor, amid the news of his sentencing. She said he was “deeply sorry for the pain and disappointment he has caused.”
The artist told supporters in the message, "I will continue to make music and work on becoming the best possible version of myself. I can’t reverse time, but I can serve the time I’ve been given lawfully and strive to positively contribute to whatever my new environment may be."
Silentó shot to viral fame in 2015 with “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” while still a high school junior. But behind the catchy dance craze and chart success, he was already battling deep mental health issues that fame couldn’t fix.
According to AP News, he attempted suicide in 2020 and had multiple run-ins with law enforcement in California and Georgia before fatally shooting his cousin. Rooks’ body was found alongside a DeKalb County road with multiple gunshot wounds the following year. Security footage from nearby homes led police to arrest the troubled rapper.
Silentó spoke about mental health struggles before his cousin’s death
“I entered this industry as a teenager, often without proper guidance or direction. While that is not an excuse, it is part of my truth,” Silentó said in his statement, slightly touching on his challenges. Hudson-O’Connor also acknowledged that he is continuing “to battle severe mental health challenges.”
In 2019, he spoke about the defunct daytime talk show “The Doctors” about his mental health. He told producers, “I’ve been fighting demons my whole life… I was born with weed, coke, heroin, pills, [and] all types of drugs in my system. I saw family members talking to walls. I watched family members fight. I watched family members try to kill each other. Nobody should have to watch that.”
The Fresh Outta High School artist alleged that his life took a turn for the worse at age 14 after being placed under the care of a great-aunt. He explained that he had been prescribed ADHD medication and sleeping pills, which took a toll on his health. “I was never officially diagnosed with ADHD, but I still had to take these drugs. It got to the point where I got incarcerated and sent to juvenile [detention],” he recalled.
Furthermore, Silentó noted, “When I became famous, it was great, but after a while, it didn’t last long. Depression doesn’t leave you when you become famous. It just adds more pressure.” Music, though, was somewhat of an escape. He told the hosts, “Ever since I created ‘Watch Me,’ my dance moves are so energetic. If I have negative energy, the amount of energy it takes to do the dance moves, I can transform it into positive energy, and that’s what gives me the ability to take all the pictures at all my shows.”
As he begins his 30-year sentence, his words reflect a young man reckoning with his past and searching for redemption.