Richard Hawk, the rapper better known as Silento, was arrested on Monday in Georgia on felony murder charges. According the DeKalb County Police Department, Hawk was booked at 6:35 p.m. ET local time on Monday.
Hawk’s claim to fame was producing the hit dance song “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," which became a viral sensation in 2015. The YouTube video of the song has been seen over 1.7 billion times.
Hawk is being accused of killing his cousin, Frederick Rooks, 34, the DeKalb County Police Department said.
The DeKalb County Police Department said that it began an investigation into Rooks’ death on Jan. 21 in Decatur, Georgia. A spokesperson for the police told Variety that Rooks was found dead on the morning of Jan. 21 at 3:30 a.m. in a driveway.
“After a thorough investigation, DKPD detectives identified Hawk as Rooks’ cousin, and the person responsible for Rooks’ murder,” the DeKalb County Police Department said in a statement to Variety. “Investigators are still working to uncover the motive for the shooting.”
