Authorities have recovered a body from a pond in Georgia that is believed to be the son of a Grammy Award-winning rapper.
The Milton Police Department said they recovered a body from a pond in Mayfield Park in Cherokee County at around 11:53 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 6. The body is believed to be Nathan Smith, who is the son of rapper Lil Jon.
“The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office,” Milton Police wrote in a statement posted to Facebook.
“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play,” the department wrote. “However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation.”
The Fulton County Medical Examiner will determined an official cause and manner of death.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time,” police wrote. “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.”
Smith was originally reported missing on Tuesday morning, Feb. 3, Milton police said. He was last seen in the area of Baldwin Drive in Milton, Georgia. Police said that officers determined that Smith had left his house “under unusual circumstances and could not be located.”
A search continued “over the following several days,” according to police, resulting in the body being recovered in the pond, which is close to Smith’s home. Lil Jon has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
The rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Smith, is best known for his slew of club-oriented, hip-hop anthems that occupied the charts in the early 2000s. They include “Salt Shaker” by Ying Yang Twins, “Cyclone” by Baby Bash, “Damn!” by YoungBloodZ, “Freek-a-Leek” by Petey Pablo, “Goodies” by Ciara and the Grammy-winning “Yeah!” by Usher. His debut solo album, “Crunk Rock,” was released in 2010.
In addition, several of Lil Jon’s own singles have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Lovers and Friends” (with the East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris), “Get Low” (with the East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins) and “Snap Yo Fingers” (featuring E-40 and Sean P).
The musician’s last big hit was a 2014 EDM collaboration with DJ Snake “Turn Down for What,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
