Lil Jon’s last conversation with his son, Nathan Smith, ended with a promise that he saw how hard Nathan was trying. Lil Jon called him back because he wanted to make sure Nathan knew his efforts to get better mattered.
In his memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, he recalls telling him: “I see that you’re trying, and I want you to know that you are seen.” It was their last conversation.
Nathan, a musician who performed as DJ Young Slade, was 27 when he was found dead near his Georgia home on February 6, 2026, 3 days after he was reported missing. His father’s account describes the calls and messages they exchanged before his death.
During an earlier call, Nathan had told his father he loved him. Lil Jon said it back, then urged him to look after himself.
“I’m on you because I love you,” he recalled telling Nathan. “I care about you. I want you to get better.”
Nathan asked his father to recognize what he was already doing: “I’m getting there. I’ve been going through a lot. I’m working through it. Give me some credit.”
Although they ended that conversation on good terms, Lil Jon worried he’d pushed too hard. “It felt like something was left unsettled,” he wrote.
At 12:48 a.m. on a Saturday, Nathan texted: “Love you dad, got so much love for you. I’m gonna try communicating better and stop letting fear hold me back.”
Lil Jon replied that he worried because Nathan was his only son. He reminded him of his talent and intelligence, and said he prayed for a time when his son would be free of discomfort and fear. Nathan had been dealing with physical pain his father believed was connected to stress, trauma and anxiety.
Then Lil Jon made the final call, making sure Nathan heard that his father recognized his progress.
Nathan had graduated from New York University and was building a music career of his own. The Fulton County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accidental drowning associated with psilocybin use.
After Nathan’s funeral, Lil Jon wrote on Instagram: “I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength.”