Lil Jon is sharing painful memories of his son, Nathan Smith, and their final days together. In his new memoir, the rapper opens up about their last conversations. He also describes the physical pain and emotional struggles Nathan faced before his death at 27. His account offers a deeply personal look at their final exchange.
The rapper describes Nathan Smith’s unexplained pain and emotional struggles
According to USA Today, Lil Jon discusses Nathan’s struggles in his memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me. He writes that Nathan had experienced “intense” physical pain without a clear explanation. Lil Jon believed stress, trauma, and anxiety may have contributed to his son’s struggles.
During their final phone call, the rapper reminded Nathan that his concerns came from love.
“He’d called to say, ‘I love you.’ I told him I loved him, too,” Lil Jon wrote. He recalled telling Nathan, “I’m on you because I love you” and “I want you to get better.”
Nathan replied, “I’m getting there” and explained that he was working through a difficult period. He also asked his father to “Give me some credit.”
Although they ended the call on good terms, Lil Jon felt that something remained unresolved. At 12:48 a.m. Saturday, Nathan sent his father a message saying, “Love you dad, got so much love for you.” He also promised to communicate better and stop letting fear hold him back.
Lil Jon responded that Nathan was his only son and that he worried about him because he was “so talented and extremely smart.”
The rapper later called Nathan again to make sure his son understood his support. “I see that you’re trying, and I want you to know that you are seen,” he recalled telling him. He added that he recognized all the effort Nathan had made.
“Little did I know that was the last time I would talk to him,” Lil Jon wrote.
Nathan died in February 2026 after drowning while under the influence of mushrooms. Authorities found him near his Georgia home on Feb. 6, three days after his family reported him missing.
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