Lil Jon paid tribute to his son, Nathan Murray Smith, as he laid him to rest two weeks after his death.
“On the first day of Ramadan yesterday, We laid my only son to rest,” the rapper wrote alongside a montage of photos from Nathan’s life on Thursday.
“In this holy month, I’m asking for extra du’a for him and for our family. Please pray that Allah grants him Jannah and grants us sabr, mercy, and strength. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.”
He continued, “I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength.
Lil Jon — whose real name is Jonathan Smith — also thanked those who had “reached out with condolences, love, and prayers” following Nathan’s death at the age of 27.
“I will make sure the world knows your talent and never forgets your name,” the rapper concluded the tribute on Thursday.
Followers of the hip hop icon, 55, expressed their sympathies in the comments thread. “Sending you so much love 🕊️” one person wrote, while another remarked, “We’re here for you brethren❤️”
A third wrote, “This is too heartbreaking for words. May Allah guide you through this difficult journey. 🫶🏻🙏🏻”
Prior to his death, the son of Lil Jon and estranged wife Nicole Smith was declared missing by the Milton Police Department in Georgia earlier this month.
“The family is asking for privacy at this time,” the rapper’s rep told Page Six on Feb. 4. “We are also asking for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe.”
Two days later, on Feb. 6, Lil Jon confirmed his son’s death after Nathan’s body was found in a Georgia pond.
“I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith,” he told us in a statement. “His mother 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 statement continued, “He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and a graduate of NYU.”
“We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are 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 competitive bodybuilder concluded the statement, “Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days.”
Via social media, he shared a photo of himself sleeping with an infant Nathan, captioning the upload, “THIS HURTS SO BAD. 💔 I LOVE YOU SON.”
The Milton PD confirmed Nathan’s death — and an ongoing investigation into the tragedy — in a memo the same day.
“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play. However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation,” it read. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time.”
Lil Jon and Nicole welcomed their only son in 1998, and separated amicably in 2022. The rapper has since welcomed daughter Nahara with girlfriend Jamila Sozahdah in 2024.
