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Rapper Lil Jon’s son, DJ Young Slade, has been found dead at the age of 27, Variety confirms. Born Nathan Smith, he was reported missing by the Milton, Georgia, police earlier this week after he “left his residence under unusual circumstances.” Smith’s body was found in a pond near his home on February 6. Lil Jon shared a statement on behalf of himself and Smith’s mother, Nicole Smith. “I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated,” he said. “Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet,” he began. “He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted — 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.”
Nathan was declared a missing person on February 3. “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,” Milton police shared. “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.” Milton police confirmed there was no indication of foul play, but they are treating the case as an open investigation.
