NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 24: Lil Jon (L) and Nathan Smith attend the Pencils of Promise 10th Anniversary Gala at the Duggal Greenhouse on October 24, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Pencils Of Promise )
Rapper Lil John has released a statement following his son’s death (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Pencils Of Promise )

Rapper Lil Jon has confirmed that his son, Nathan Smith, has died in an emotional statement.

‘I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith, the star 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.’

The rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Smith, praised his son’s ‘amazing talent’ and said he and his wife loved Nathan with all of their hearts and said they were 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,’ the statement, which was released to the BBC finished.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 04: Lil Jon, Nicole Smith and Nathan Smith attends the Pencils Of Promise 2019 Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on November 04, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
Nathan went missing earlier this week (Picture: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

Nathan, who was also known as DJ Young Slade, was reported missing in Georgia on February 3 after he was seen ‘running out of his home’.

At the time, officers reportedly claimed he ‘had left his residence under unusual circumstances’.

On February 6, police announced they had recovered a body from a pond they believed to be Nathan, following a search.

‘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,” a police statement read.

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 29: (L-R) DJ Young Slade, Lil Jon and Sujit Kundu attend Sujit Kundu's 21st birthday celebration at Vandal on August 29, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images)
Police say there is ‘no indication of foul play (Picture: Chance Yeh/Getty Images)

‘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.’

Police noted that while their investigation is ongoing, there is ‘no indication of foul play’ and added they could not release further details until the official cause of death has been determined by a coroner.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time,’ the statement finished.

‘The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honour the family’s request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy.’

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