Rapper Lil Jon asks for prayers after son is reported missing in Georgia

Police have said the 27-year-old artist, who makes music under the name DJ Young Slade, may be ‘disoriented and in need of assistance’

Lil Jon's adult son, Nathan Smith, has been reported missing in Milton, Georgia (Getty Images)

Rapper Lil Jon is asking for prayers and privacy after his 27-year-old son, Nathan Smith, was reported missing Tuesday in Georgia.

Smith, who makes music under the name DJ Young Slade, was last seen Tuesday at 6 a.m. local time in Milton, a suburb 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta, according to the Milton Police Department.

“Subject ran out of his house and has been missing since,” MPD’s report said. “Subject left on foot and does not possess a phone. He may be disoriented and in need of assistance. Family and friends are concerned for his safety.”

The report notes that Smith is 5 feet and 9 inches tall and 150 pounds. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 678-297-6300.

“The family is asking for privacy at this time,” Lil Jon’s representative told The Independent in a statement. “We are also asking for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe. Thank you.”

Lil Jon's 27-year-old son has been reported missing in Milton, Georgia (Getty)

As of Wednesday, police have said that “Smith is still missing” and there are no updates.

Smith is the only child of the Grammy-winning rapper, real name Jonathan Smith, and his estranged wife, Nicole Smith. The couple married in 2004 and Lil Jon announced their breakup in February 2024, saying that they had split nearly two years earlier.

The “Yeah!” rapper, 55, also has a daughter, Nahara, with his girlfriend Jamila Sozahdah. He is best known for early 2000s club hits like “Get Low,” “Snap Yo Fingers,” and, later, “Turn Down For What.” In recent years, he has been outspoken about his political opinions, and performed at the Democratic National Convention in 2024.

Smith has followed in his father’s footsteps as a musician, releasing his latest song, “Feels,” in March 2025. Lil Jon said on The Big Podcast in 2023 that Smith started DJing at age 11.

“I put him in Scratch DJ Academy. He graduated at like 12 years old,” Lil Jon said at the time. “He was the smallest thing in there in the graduation. Throughout his teenage years, he started DJing in clubs around L.A., and then he also started making music.”

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

He added, “It’s literally in your kid’s genes to do what you do.”

Smith’s most recent post on Instagram, shared January 6, showed him with his manager, Lil Will, and rapper Bow Wow backstage at the iHeart Jingle Ball in Atlanta.

On social media, Smith’s manager echoed Lil Jon in asking for privacy as he remains missing. On his Instagram Story Wednesday, Lil Will reposted a message saying: “This is more than a client, it’s a brother. Please respect their space.”