ATLANTA (AP) – Silento, the Atlanta rapper known for his hit song “Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae),” was arrested Monday and charged with murdering the death of his 34-year-old cousin, authorities said.
DeKalb County police said in a statement on Twitter that the 23-year-old rapper, whose official name is Ricky Hawk, has been arrested in that Atlanta suburb. According to the police statement, he is in prison, charged with murder in connection with the death of Frederick Rooks on January 21.
The statement did not address the circumstances of Hawk’s death or arrest.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Hawk was held without bond late Monday.
The newspaper had previously reported that police responded to a call for gunshots fired around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 21 in the Panthersville community in DeKalb County. The newspaper quoted police as saying that officers found Rooks dead that night with multiple gunshot wounds.
It was not immediately known whether Hawk had a lawyer who could respond for him. His manager did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on Monday evening.