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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Principal Jimmy Fisher talks about learning targets at Seckinger High School in Buford, Georgia, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. This Gwinnett County high school is AI-themed and opened in 2022. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

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An aerial view captures a large area under construction for a new data center campus on Thursday, May 29, 2025. Developed by QTS, the data center campus near Fayetteville is one of the largest under construction in Georgia. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez