Lil Jon confirms death of 27-year-old son DJ Young Slade

Nathan Smith, artistically known as DJ Young Slade, and the son of rapper and producer Lil Jon, has tragically passed away.

It has been confirmed that Nathan Smith, the son of rapper and producer Lil Jon, has passed away. The 27-year-old was a talented DJ and producer known professionally as DJ Young Slade. Smith was first reported missing days before his body was found in a pond at Mayfield Park, located near the family’s home in Georgia.

Smith was first reported missing on February 3rd, after he left the residence without his phone, which was unusual for the young man. After expanding their search to the 5-acre park, the Milton police dive team recovered a body from a pond on February 6th. While there have been no details on the cause of his death, early reports indicated there was no sign of foul play.

Lil Jon shared a series of Instagram Stories discussing the tragedy. “I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human 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.”

Lil Jon continued,  “He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and a 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.” 

Smith followed his father’s footsteps in music while carving his own path. He was an accomplished DJ and musician and released a single titled “Move Thru Fire” in March 2020. Lil Jon shared on Instagram, “Slade released [this project] when he graduated from college. He was so happy to express his art n do it himself. I was so proud of him for doing it all on his own.”

Smith spoke highly of his father’s legacy in past interviews and expressed excitement to “take the touch” and make his own mark on the industry.

Featured Image // Instagram // @yoitsslade

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Kathryn Allyn

My favorite thing in the whole world is music and after hearing “One” by Swedish House Mafia for the first time in 2014, I was hooked on EDM. Dance music has been a large part of who I am and will always be searching for new ways to incorporate it in my life. The pure bliss that I feel from live shows is a feeling I never want to stop chasing (iykyk). Some of my favorite artists include Flume, Rüfüs Du Sol, Mindchatter, Gorgon City, Prospa 🙂

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