Lil Jon’s late son Nathan Smith, aka DJ Young Slade, spoke lovingly of his dad in an interview he did almost one year before his tragic death at 27.
A clip from Smith’s conversation with the nonprofit organization 360 Baseline in March 2025 has resurfaced on Instagram. In it, he described Lil Jon as being present throughout his life.
When asked how having an active father had done for him, Smith responded: ‘To be honest my dad was never the type who made me or put me in a place where I had to think about any of that because he was always there.
‘He was always showing up for my birthdays even if he had to perform somewhere.’
Smith – who went missing from his Milton, Georgia home on Tuesday – said his dad, a pivotal figure in hip-hop from the early 2000s onwards and who produced such hits as Turn Down for What and Get Low, would turn away gigs to be with him.
‘He would turn it down and come and be with me, birthdays, holidays,’ Smith said, adding: ‘So, yeah, just having him letting me know he’s there whether it was music, whether it was watching a movie at the end of the day or whatever it was, you don’t really have to worry too much about that.’
Lil Jon’s late son, Nathan Smith, aka DJ Young Slade, spoke lovingly of his dad in an interview he did with nonprofit organization 360 Baseline almost one year before his tragic death at 27
Smith described Lil Jon as being a present and active father throughout his life in the recently resurfaced clip; father and son are pictured in August 2016
Smith’s words have a chillingly bittersweet effect now, one day after Lil Jon announced the death of his son on Friday.
The NYU graduate who performed as DJ Young Slade was Lil Jon’s first child, whom he had with his now ex-wife Nicole Smith.
Lil Jon’s agonized statement came shortly before police in Milton, Georgia, said a body recovered from a pond near Smith’s home was believed to be him, according to WSB-TV in Atlanta.
Smith had been reported missing just days earlier after he reportedly ran out of his house in Milton on Tuesday.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, the 55-year-old rapper said, ‘I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our 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,’ Lil Jon added.
The rap artist and record producer – whose real name is Jonathan H. Smith – described his son as ‘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 continued. ‘He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together we’re comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him.’
The NYU grad said his dad would turn down gigs ‘and come and be with me, birthdays, holidays’
The DJ and artist was reported missing on Tuesday after he reportedly ran out of his home in Milton, Georgia
Smith’s words have a chillingly bittersweet effect now, after Lil Jon announced the death of his son on Friday; Lil Jon and Smith are pictured in 2018 in NYC
Lil Jon shared his late son (right) with ex-wife Nicole Smith (center); pictured together in 2019 in NYC
Lil Jon also thanked the Milton Police Department for its assistance in the search for his son.
Although police have now confirmed that it was his body that was recovered from a nearby pond, it will be up to the medical examiner’s office to make the official confirmation and to determine the manner and the cause of his death.
The Milton Police Department said in a statement: ‘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.’
While police said there was ‘no indication of foul play,’ they added that the case would be considered ‘an open and active investigation for the time being,’ and no additional details would be announced until after the Fulton County Medical Examiner had weighed in.
Aerial footage of the pond near Smith’s house showed a large number of law enforcement vehicles.
Officers were later seen pulling what appeared to be the body out of the water later in the day, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Later Friday, Lil Jon shared a photo slideshow of him bonding with his son when he was a child, the images accompanied by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s song One Sweet Day.
The old snaps showed the rapper and his little boy snoozing peacefully together. Lil Jon’s son showed his budding interest in music in another photo in which he played with the faders on what looked like a vintage mixing board.
A body believed to be Slade’s was recovered from a pond near his home on Friday (pictured)
While police said there was ‘no indication of foul play,’ they added that the case would be considered ‘an open and active investigation for the time being,’ and no additional details would be announced until after the Fulton County Medical Examiner had weighed in
Lil Jon held his son when he was just a baby in a final photo, which included Smith’s mother Nicole.
‘THIS HURTS SO BAD. I LOVE YOU SON,’ Lil Jon captioned the social media share.
Back in February, the rapper revealed he had separated from Nicole two years earlier in 2022.
He has been in a relationship with Jamila Sozahdah of Hulu’s Secrets & Sisterhood: The Sozahdahs. They welcomed a daughter, Nahara, in November 2025.
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