Lil Jon paid tribute to his son Nathan Murray Smith as he was buried two weeks after his death.
“Yesterday, the first day of Ramadan, we laid to rest our only son,” the rapper wrote on Thursday, alongside a montage of photos from Nathan’s life.
“In this holy month, I am asking for additional du’a for him and our family. Pray that Allah grant him Jannah and grant us saber, mercy and strength. Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi radiun.”
“Son, I love you. Life will never be the same without you. O Allah, give me strength.”
Lil Jon (real name Jonathan Smith) also thanked those who “sent their condolences, love and prayers” after Nathan’s death at the age of 27.
“May the world know your talent and never forget your name,” the rapper concluded Thursday’s eulogy.
The hip-hop icon’s 55 followers expressed their sympathy in a comment thread. “Sending you so much love 🕊️,” one person wrote, while another commented: “We’re here for you brothers ❤️.”
A third wrote: “So heartbroken I have no words. May Allah guide me through this difficult journey. 🫶🏻🙏🏻.”
The son of Lil Jon and his estranged wife Nicole Smith was declared missing by the Milton, Georgia Police Department earlier this month before his death.
“Nathan’s family requests privacy at this time and continues to ask for prayers for Nathan’s safe return home,” a representative for Nathan told Page Six on February 4.
Two days later, on February 6, Nathan’s body was found in a pond in Georgia, and Lil Jon confirmed his son’s death.
“We are deeply heartbroken by the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith,” he told Us in a statement. “His mother and I are both shocked.”
“Nathan was the kindest human being I have ever met. He was extremely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warm-hearted. He loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest.”
The statement continued: “He was an incredibly talented young man, a music producer, artist, engineer, and graduate of New York University.”
“We love Nathan dearly and are so proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and we take comfort in knowing that we expressed those exact feelings to him the last time we spent together.”
The competitive bodybuilder concluded his statement by saying, “Thank you for all the prayers and support in our search for him over the past few days.”
Via social media, he shared a photo of himself sleeping with infant Nathan, captioning the upload, “It hurts so much. 💔 I love you son.”
The Milton Police Department acknowledged in a memo the same day an ongoing investigation into Nathan’s death and the tragedy.
“Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play. However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigation Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation,” the statement reads. “Our deepest sympathies go out to Mr. Smith’s family at this difficult time.”
Lil Jon and Nicole welcomed their only son in 1998, but amicably separated in 2022. Lil Jon then gave birth to a daughter, Nahara, with girlfriend Jamila Sozada in 2024.
