In his upcoming memoir, Lil Jon writes about the untimely death of his son, Nathan Smith, aka DJ Young Slade.
The crunk music producer and hypeman spoke to a TMZ reporter this week about his memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, slated to publish on Oct. 20.
In February, Smith—who was a DJ, musician and engineer—was found in a retention pond in Milton, Georgia. An autopsy report ruled that the 27-year-old died from an accidental drowning, with psilocybin use referenced as a contributing factor.
In the interview, Jon revealed that the memoir was originally completed earlier this year, but he returned to the draft following his son’s death to write about “processing and dealing with” the loss.
“Me telling my story and what I’m going through could help someone else to get through it,” he said. “‘Cause I’m not alone.”
Jon said he received an outpouring of condolences by close loved ones, friends, and fellow celebrities who have experienced similar loss.
The musician also spoke about spirituality and said that he was being “prepared” for the loss, which he was able to get through by reaching a “different mindset.”
In 2024, Jon released his first meditation album after multiple life changes, including a separation from his wife of 18 years, Nicole Smith.
One of Nathan Smith’s last media appearances was an interview on Reginae Carter’s podcast, Heir Time, which was released posthumously.
