Georgia police reported Friday that a body recovered from a pond was believed to be 27-year-old Nathan Smith. Rapper Lil Jon later confirmed the death of his son.
On February 3, Nathan was reported missing after leaving home without his phone. Police in Milton, Georgia, subsequently issued a missing persons report for him.
After a three-day search, divers recovered the remains of Lil Jon’s son, Nathan Smith, from a pond approximately 30 miles north of Atlanta
In a Feb. 6 statement to USA TODAY, Lil Jon reported that his son Nathan Smith had died, adding that he and Smith’s mother, Nicole Smith, are “extremely heartbroken” and “devastated.
Lil Jon said in the statement. “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 was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU.”
The statement pressed further: “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. Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days.”
Born on April 30, 1998, in Decatur, Georgia, Nathan Smith—better known as DJ Young Slade. He was the eldest child of rapper Lil Jon and his former wife, Nicole Smith, born almost 20 years before their second child in 2024.
An alumnus of New York University, he established himself as a music producer and DJ, launching his career at just 11 years old. In March 2025, he released his latest single, “Feels,” and often emphasized his pride in honoring his father’s legacy while carving out his own career
