An autopsy report has confirmed that Nathan Smith, the 27-year-old son of rapper Lil Jon, died from accidental drowning. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's report, obtained by People, listed the cause of death as 'drowning in the setting of psilocybin use'. Smith's blood tested positive for psilocybin, a naturally occurring hallucinogen found in certain mushrooms.
Smith, who performed as DJ Young Slade, was found dead on 6 February in a retention pond north of Atlanta, three days after he was reported missing. The Milton Police Department had issued a missing persons report after Smith 'ran out of his house' without his phone, describing him as possibly disoriented and in need of assistance.
The search expanded to include a pond in Mayfield Park near Smith's residence. On 6 February, divers from the Cherokee County Fire Department recovered a body from the pond, later identified as Smith. The autopsy noted water-immersion wrinkling on his hands, consistent with drowning.
Lil Jon, whose real name is Jonathan Smith, expressed his devastation in a statement. 'I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated,' he said. He described Nathan as 'the kindest human being you would ever meet' and 'an amazingly talented young man'.
Smith was the only child of Lil Jon and his estranged wife, Nicole Smith. The couple married in 2004 and announced their separation in February 2024. Lil Jon, 55, also has a daughter, Nahara, with his girlfriend Jamila Sozahdah.
