Silentó
His viral dance anthem 'Watch Me' became a global teen phenomenon, defining a moment in internet-driven pop culture before he faded from the spotlight.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American former rapper·Birthday: January 22·Generation Z
Biography
Richard Hawk, known as Silentó, experienced a flash of fame so intense it became a cultural landmark. As a teenager in Atlanta in 2015, he released 'Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),' a song built around a simple, chant-like hook and a checklist of popular dance moves. The track, paired with a low-budget, charismatic video, exploded on social media, particularly Vine and YouTube, becoming an inescapable force. It propelled the 17-year-old to a number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and platinum certification, a dizzying ascent for a debut single. The song's success was a pure product of the mid-2010s digital ecosystem, where a dance challenge could fuel global recognition overnight. However, sustaining a career after such a specific viral moment proved difficult, and Silentó stepped back from music, leaving 'Watch Me' as a definitive, if singular, timestamp of internet-fueled pop.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Silentó was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Silentó Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Silentó's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His debut single 'Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)' peaked at No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2015.
- The music video for 'Watch Me' has garnered over 1.5 billion views on YouTube.
- The single was certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA for over four million units sold in the United States.
Did You Know?
He was only 17 years old when 'Watch Me' became a massive hit.
The song's title and lyrics reference dance moves like the 'Whip' and 'Nae Nae' that were popular on social media.
Silentó has been relatively absent from the music industry since the peak of his fame in the mid-2010s.
“Watch me whip, now watch me nae nae.”
