Nathan Smith — aka DJ Young Slade, rapper Lil Jon’s son — was found dead near his Georgia home after he was reported missing earlier this week. Lil Jon confirmed the death in a statement to Variety:
“I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith,” he said. “His mother, Nicole Smith, and I 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.”
Nathan Smith was reported missing Tuesday morning after he was last seen “running out of his home in Milton, Georgia,” about 30 miles north of Atlanta, according to NBC. The body was found in a pond near the residence, police said Friday.
Officers were called to Nathan Smith’s home at around 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to NBC. Police said he was last seen running out of his residence, and “may have been disoriented and in need of assistance.” In Friday’s update, police said he left home “under unusual circumstances,” adding that foul play was not suspected.
As DJ Young Slade, Smith has a robust number of tracks posted on SoundCloud and was a prominent presence on the Atlanta hip-hop scene. Recent photos of him with Post Malone, Killer Mike, Big Boi, Fergie, Too $hort, E-40 as well as his father and many others can be found on the internet.
