Lil Jon is opening up about the last conversation he had with his late son, Nathan Smith. The rapper reflects on the last time the two spoke in his new memoir, ‘I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me.’
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Lil Jon’s Memoir ‘I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me’ Dedicated To Son
Lil Jon’s new memoir, ‘I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me,’ will be available on Friday, October 20, and the rapper shares his last conversation with his son, Nathan Smith. As reported by The Shade Room, Nathan’s body was found three days after he went missing on Friday, February 6. His cause of death was ultimately ruled an accidental drowning with psilocybin use as a contributing factor.
Lil Jon also spoke to PEOPLE ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir, saying he wanted to help others who are grieving. Smith was just 27 and was following in his father’s footsteps. He was known in the entertainment industry as DJ Young Slade, and his father dedicated the book to him.
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“Some people give up on life when they lose people,” he said. “But you still have to keep living. So I’m sharing that message with people… I needed to share everything I was going through… his book is dedicated to him now.”
The outlet also published an excerpt from the memoir, and Lil Jon shares the devastating events of February 2026. He recalled receiving a phone call that his son was missing.
“He had run out of his house in Milton, Ga., and couldn’t be found,” he wrote. “Police had searched everywhere. But he hadn’t turned up. It was all so crazy because, leading up to this moment, everything seemed fine. Days earlier, he’d called to say, ‘I love you.’ I told him I loved him, too.”
Lil Jon went on to note that Nathan had been struggling with emotional issues, pain, and trauma and sometimes couldn’t think or even move.
“On the emotional side, he was in EMDR therapy, which uses stimulation to heal from traumatic events,” he continued. “I was always encouraging him to take care of himself. On the call, I leaned into him a bit. ‘I’m on you because I love you,’ I said. ‘I care about you. I want you to get better.’ ‘I’m getting there,’ he said. ‘I’ve been going through a lot. I’m working through it. Give me some credit.'”
Lil Jon Shares Last Conversation With Late Son In ‘I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me’
The artist added that he worried Nathan thought he was being too hard on him, but they ended the call in a good place. However, he still felt a little unsettled, and Nathan messaged him again.
“He must have felt the same way, because at 12:48 a.m. Saturday morning, he sent me a message: ‘Love you dad, got so much love for you. I’m gonna try communicating better and stop letting fear hold me back. My love for you is stronger than my fear. ❤️ And I’ma get on the supplements tomorrow . . . 🫡 It’s funny, I know that family bond is strong because our whole family really only argues cause we care. LMAO. I was thinking about our back and forth and i was like, damn, it’s just cause we both care.’ I wrote him back: ‘I do care a lot. You are my only son, and I worry about you a lot. You are so talented and extremely smart. Nothing should be holding you back. I pray for the days you have no more discomfort and no more fear. You will excel in everything you want to do. Those days are coming. Love you.'”
Lil Jon added that he told his therapist about the conversation a few days later, and she told him Nathan “wants to be heard and seen,’ which he said “struck” him “deeply.”
“Instead of being hard on him about what he hadn’t done, I needed to acknowledge the things he had,” he recalled. “So, I called Nathan to apologize. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I see that you’re trying, and I want you to know that you are seen. All the effort you’ve been putting in — I see it. And I see you.’ Little did I know that was the last time I would talk to him.”
Lil Jon Confirms Son’s Tragic Death
The recording artist confirmed Nathan’s death on Instagram on February 6. The post was captioned: “💔 🕊️ 💔.” Nathan was found in a retention pond near his home. A toxicology report later showed there was psilocybin in his system.
“I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith,” he wrote. “His mother [Nicole Smith] and | are devastated. 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. 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. Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days. Thank you to the entire Milton police department involved: Detective Dula Milton, Investigators Sergeant Scott Lappin, Detective Randy Dula, Detective Sarah Moore, and Detective Daniel Williams. Sandy Springs police department, Fulton county sheriff’s office, Haralson County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee Fire Department, Forsyth County Fire Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia K9 Team Search and Recovery, and multiple volunteers, as well as the Milton Fire Department and Cherokee Rescue and Dive Team, and Craig Brazemen.’ – Lil Jon & Nicole.”
