Lil Jon's son has been laid to rest

Sharing a string of photos of his son, who was also known as DJ Young Slade, throughout his life on Instagram, Lil Jon wrote on Thursday (19.02.26): "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. Please pray that Allah grants him Jannah and grants us sabr, mercy, and strength. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

"I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength.

The Damn I Love Miami hitmaker went on to express his thanks to those who had "reached out with condolences, love, and prayers."

He concluded: "I will make sure the world knows your talent and never forgets your name. Nathan Murray Smith."

Nathan's body was recovered from a pond on 6 February, days after the 27-year-old rapper had been reported missing.

Milton Police Department announced on Facebook: " On the morning of February 3, 2026, Milton Police Department officers responded to a report of a missing adult in the area of Baldwin Drive in Milton, Georgia. Responding officers determined that a Milton resident, Nathan Smith, had left his residence under unusual circumstances and could not be located. The Milton Police Department immediately began search efforts and coordinated with multiple partner agencies that assisted in searching for Mr. Smith over the following several days.

"After being unable to locate Mr. Smith during that time, teams expanded the search to include a pond in Mayfield Park near Smith's Milton residence.

"On February 6, 2026, at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond. The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office.

"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. No further details will be released until the official cause and manner of death are determined by the Fulton County Medical Examiner and all investigative leads have been thoroughly examined.

"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 later paid a heartfelt tribute to Nathan on behalf of himself and estranged wife Nicole Smith.

He said in a statement: "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warm-hearted - 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.

"Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days."