Lil Jon is opening up about the death of his son in his upcoming memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me. According to All Hip Hop, he reveals the final texts between himself and Nathan Smith, who passed away from an accidental drowning. The exchange details Smith’s struggles with anxiety as it related to his upcoming musical releases. Smith was an artist who released music under the name DJ Young Slade.
Jon offered his son his support, while telling him he cared and wanted to see him get better. “I’m going to stop letting fear hold me back,” Smith reportedly told him.
That same day, Smith was supposed to see a therapist, but the appointment fell through. Unfortunately, Lil Jon found out his son was missing the next day. Nathan died on February 3rd, 2026.
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Lil Jon Opens Up About Son In Upcoming Memoir
Days after Smith passed away, Lil Jon shared a heartbreaking tribute to his son on Instagram, confirming the news.
"I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith," the statement read. "His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever met. 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. 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’s memoir is set to be released on October 20th and will cover his upbringing, his commercial dominance, and the later years of his career, too.
