Lil Jon Returned to His Memoir Following Son’s Death to Process Grief and Help Others

Lil Jon thought he was done working on his upcoming music industry memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me (Oct. 20), earlier this year when he turned in his final pages to his publisher. Then the producer/rapper’s 27-year-old son, Nathan Smith (aka DJ Young Slade) died in February after drowning in a water retention pond near his house in Milton, Georgia and Jon (born Jonathan Smith), 55, went back to work updating his life story.

TMZ caught up with the “Get Low” MC on Wednesday (June 17) and he describing the book as being about “everything in my life, how I got my start, all the ups and downs of the music industry.” But when his son died unexpectedly, Jon said he returned to the book and added his response to that tragic incident and how he processed it.

“I look at it as me telling my story and what I’m going through could help someone else to get through it. Because I’m not alone,” he said. “And that’s one thing that helped me to get through it too is so many people reaching out and sending me prayers and love and also other celebrities reaching out that have experienced loss, similar loss, giving me the opportunity to speak with them if I needed to.”

Jon said he felt like he needed to express all the emotions he was having about the loss of his son so that anyone out there going through the same thing can see that they can get through it as well. Asked if he thought that God was giving him a new mission, Jon said “100%, I kinda get into that in the book a lot. And it’s also like God was preparing me for everything that was starting to happen,” getting him into a mindset that would help him deal with the heartbreaking loss and not “spiral.”

Shortly after Nathan’s death, the crunk pioneer shared a heartfelt tribute, writing, “On the first day of Ramadan yesterday, We laid my only son to rest. In this holy month, I’m asking for extra du’a for him and for our family,” he captioned the slideshow of special moments shared with his son over the years. “Please pray that Allah grants him Jannah and grants us sabr, mercy, and strength. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.”

He added, “I love you, son. Life will never be the same without you. Allah, give me strength. Also thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences, love, and prayers we appreciate you all. I will make sure the world knows your talent and never forgets your name. Nathan Murray Smith.”

NYU grad Nathan Smith was reported missing on Feb. 3 by the Milton Police Department in Georgia, with his body discovered by the Cherokee County Fire Department in a nearby pond on Feb. 6.