The state Department of Education turned to DeKalb recording sensation Silento to persuade Georgia students taking the NAEP test to try their best on it, even though it doesn’t count toward class grades.

A graduate of Redan High School, Silento, 19, is a rapper and songwriter who shot to fame with his debut single “Watch Me” (Whip/Nae Nae.) His real name is Ricky Lamar Hawk.

DOE deserves kudos for seeing the potential of “Nae, Nae” and “NAEP, NAEP,” an idea advanced by the fact someone in the agency knew Silento’s aunt.

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Views of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta shown on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: NATRICE MILLER

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A rendering of the columbarium memorial that is estimated to be completed by next summer or fall in the southeast part of Oakland Cemetery, officials said. (Courtesy of Historic Oakland Foundation)

Credit: Historic Oakland Foundation