Lil Jon is paying tribute to his son, Nathan Smith (a.k.a. DJ Young Slade), two weeks after his death at age 27.
“On the first day of Ramadan yesterday, We laid my only son to rest. In this holy month, I’m asking for extra du’a for him and for our family,” Lil Jon, 55, wrote via Instagram alongside a memorial video containing photos of Smith on Thursday, February 19.
The rapper asked for prayers as he continued, “I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength.”
Lil Jon (real name Jonathan Smith) concluded, “Also thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences, love and prayers, we appreciate you all. ❤️ I will make sure the world knows your talent and never forgets your name. Nathan Murray Smith.”
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Nathan was first reported missing in Georgia after he was last seen on February 3 at 6 a.m. local time.
“Subject ran out of his house and has been missing since,” the Milton Police Department said in a missing persons report posted via Facebook. “Subject left on foot and does not possess a phone. He may be disoriented and in need of assistance. Family and friends are concerned for his safety.”
In a statement to Us Weekly on February 4, a rep for Lil Jon said, “The family is asking for privacy at this time. We are also asking for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe. Thank you.”
Two days later, Georgia police recovered Nathan’s body in a Mayfield Park pond near his home.
“The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office,” a February 6 statement from the police read. “Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play. However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation.”
The statement continued, “We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time. The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the family’s request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy.”
Lil Jon addressed his son’s death in a separate statement to Us on February 6.
“I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of my son, Nathan Smith. His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate and warmhearted — he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest,” he said. “He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer and graduate of NYU. We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together, we’re comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him.”
Lil Jon welcomed Nathan with Nicole in 1998, six years before the pair tied the knot. (The “Turn Down for What” artist later split from Nicole in 2022.)
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Nathan was a DJ and musician who released music under his stage name, DJ Young Slade. His latest single, “Feels,” was released in March 2025.
“He’s in the music business. He’s an engineer and an artist,” Lil Jon told OK! Magazine in December 2024. “He started off as a DJ, and he knows [my hit ‘Get Low’] is one of those songs you have to play. We haven’t talked about how he feels about it, but I’m sure he likes it.”
Lil Jon continued, “It’s cool he’s in the same business as me. I didn’t know what he was going to be when he was younger. I wasn’t trying to influence him to be in music. He had a natural musical ear. I remember he was 11 years old and we were in the car and the DJ was mixing on the radio and he could tell what song was coming in before it came on.”
