Lil Jon opens up about the last words he shared with his son before his death

The rapper says he apologized to Nathan Smith and told him, “I see that you’re trying,” in a conversation that later brought him comfort.

Lil Jon says he apologized to his son Nathan Smith shortly before the 27-year-old went missing and was later found dead in February. The rapper confirmed his son’s death earlier this year and recalled their final trip together in May. In an excerpt from his upcoming memoir, “I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me,” he shares what he said to Nathan.

“I see that you’re trying, and I want you to know that you are seen,” he wrote, according to a memoir excerpt published by People. Lil Jon said he did not realize the apology would be the last time he spoke with Nathan.

In the book, Lil Jon describes what he considered his son’s emotional difficulties and years of physical pain. He said he urged Nathan to take care of himself during an earlier phone call, but Nathan asked his father to recognize the effort he was making.

Although the call ended well, Lil Jon felt something had been left unsettled. The two later exchanged affectionate text messages. After discussing their exchange with his therapist, who suggested Nathan wanted to feel heard and seen, he called his son to apologize.

The following day, Lil Jon learned Nathan was missing. The musician, known as DJ Young Slade, disappeared from his home in Milton, Georgia, on Feb. 3. Police recovered his body from a nearby pond on Feb. 6. The Fulton County Medical Examiner ruled his death an accidental drowning in the setting of psilocybin use.

Lil Jon had nearly finished his memoir before Nathan died. He returned to the manuscript to add a chapter about his son’s death and dedicated the book to him.

Father and son also worked together in music. Nathan served as an engineer during some of Lil Jon’s recording sessions, including work on his 2024 album, “Total Meditation.”

Lil Jon said he found comfort after learning from Nathan’s best friend that his son was happy with their final conversation. He also acknowledged struggling with grief after returning to touring, saying he felt guilty for smiling while performing.

His memoir is scheduled for release Oct. 20.