Rapper Lil Jon ‘Devastated’ As Son Nathan Smith Found Dead In Georgia Pond After Search

A devastating search for the missing son of rapper and producer Lil Jon has come to a tragic conclusion. On Friday, February 6, 2026, the Milton Police Department announced that search teams recovered a body believed to be 27-year-old Nathan Smith from a pond in Mayfield Park, Georgia. Nathan, who performed under the stage name DJ Young Slade, had been the subject of an intense multi-agency search since he disappeared from his residence earlier in the week.

The alarm was first raised on Tuesday, February 3, when Nathan reportedly left his home around 6 a.m. under what authorities described as “unusual circumstances.” According to the initial missing person report, Nathan had run out of the house barefoot and without his phone, leading investigators

to believe he may have been “disoriented and in need of assistance.”

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The search effort quickly expanded from a local neighborhood canvass to include K-9 units and dive teams from several surrounding counties. At approximately 11:53 a.m. on Friday, divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department discovered a body in the water near Nathan’s residence. While official confirmation from the Fulton County Medical Examiner is pending, the Milton Police Department stated they believe the individual is Nathan. Authorities have noted there is “no indication of foul play,” though the investigation remains open and active.

Shortly after the police announcement, Lil Jon released a poignant statement expressing the profound grief felt by him and Nathan’s mother, Nicole Smith. “I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated,” the rapper shared. He described Nathan as a light in their lives, noting, “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.”

Nathan was a rising star in his own right, having followed his father’s footsteps into the music industry. An NYU graduate and a talented producer and engineer, he was known for his work as DJ Young Slade and had recently appeared on the Paramount+ series Family Legacy. Lil Jon expressed pride in his son’s accomplishments and found a small measure of solace in their final moments together: “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.”