Rapper Silento Has Been Formally Indicted on Four Felony Charges in His Cousin's Murder Case

It’s not news that most people believe that hip hop culture can sometimes be synonymous with drama and controversy. From the infamous beef between the late rappers The Notorious B.I.G and Tupac to Ja Rule and 50 Cent, drama can sometimes overshadow the talent. 

Rapper Silento (real name: Richard Lamar Hawk), 23, is currently behind bars after being indicted on four charges related to murder. And the victim is not another rapper; it’s actually his cousin. With that in mind, fans are scrambling for answers and have one crucial question in mind: Who is Silento’s cousin? Here’s the 4-1-1.

While most rappers give us a glimpse of their family members when they reach super-stardom, the same can't be said for Richard Hawk. While Hawk became a viral sensation back in 2015 under the name Silento, he hasn't really been open about his personal life.

So there is not much information about the rapper's cousin, Frederick Rooks. According to The Sun, "Not much is known about him, other than that he is 34 years old."

All that we do is when and how he was killed. The site reports, "Rooks was fatally shot on January 21, 2021, in a suburb of Atlanta."

"They found Rooks dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds," DeKalb police Lt. Rod Bryant told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

They also report that investigators believe that Rooks knew the residents at one of the houses on Deep Shoals Circle, where his body was found.

“I think it is connected to this house,”  Lt. Bryant says. “We’re still doing a little bit more investigation. The people in the house know him, but he really don’t [sic] live there, so we’re trying to see what’s going on.”

Hawk was arrested on Feb. 1 after DeKalb police investigated the recent death of 34-year-old Frederick Rooks, the publication reports. "Hawk was booked into the DeKalb jail on one count of murder," police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent said in a statement.

In May, Hawk filed legal documents in DeKalb County requesting the court set his bond at $25,000, reasoning that he's “not an extraordinary bail risk and will not jeopardize the safety of the community if released on bail." A bond hearing was set for later in the month.

However, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that his request for bond was denied on June 9, 2021.

Billboard reports that Hawk is now officially accused of murdering his own cousin. According to the DeKalb County Superior Court's bill of indictment obtained by the outlet, Hawk was indicted on four felony charges by a Georgia grand jury on Aug. 3, 2021. The charges include malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Making matters worse, Hawk will have to cool his heels behind bars until the start of his trial. TMZ reports that the MC is still being held without bond.

While news of his Feb. 2021 arrest and the subsequent indictment was troublesome for many fans and supporters of the star, it appears that it's not Hawk's first run-in with the law. In fact, he has quite the rap sheet.

He has been arrested multiple times in recent months. "Hawk was arrested twice in one week in August on domestic violence and gun charges in California," the publication shares. "In late October, he was also arrested and booked into the DeKalb jail on charges that he was speeding at more than 140 mph on I-85."

It is unclear when exactly he will appear in court. There is currently no trial date on record, so it looks like Hawk will need to sit tight for a while.