Lil Jon is paying tribute to his late son, Nathan Smith, one day after he was laid to rest.
On Friday, Feb. 6, the 55-year-old music icon, born Jonathan Smith, confirmed his son’s death after the young man was briefly reported missing in Atlanta. On Thursday, Feb. 19, the rapper returned to Instagram with a heartfelt tribute, revealing that the family had laid the 20-something to rest the day before.
The post was set to “Move Thru Fire,” a song by his late son, who performed under the stage name DJ Young Slade. The track played over a touching montage of Nathan growing up through the years, from his little league baseball days to beach walks with his father and early moments discovering music as a child.
“On the first day of Ramadan yesterday, We laid my only son to rest,” Lil Jon wrote in the caption. “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.”
Nathan was first reported missing on Wednesday, Feb. 3, after he was last seen running barefoot from his home in Milton, Georgia, without his phone in a disoriented state. At the time, his father asked for privacy and prayers as the family worked with local authorities. Two days later, on Friday, Feb. 6, a dive team discovered his body in a pond at Mayfield Park near his residence. He was 27.
“I love you, son,” Lil Jon continued. “Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength.”
He also thanked those who reached out “with condolences, love, and prayers we appreciate you all.”
He concluded, “I will make sure the world knows your talent and never forgets your name. Nathan Murray Smith.”
Lil Jon welcomed Nathan with his ex-wife, Nicole Smith, in May 1998. The couple later married in 2004 before separating and divorcing nearly 20 years later. In 2024, the artist welcomed a daughter with his girlfriend.
