Milton Police say that a body recovered from a pond by divers is believed to be DJ Young Slade/Nathan Smith, the son of rapper Lil Jon. Official confirmation of the identity will come from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The body was discovered around noon. No foul play is expected but an investigation is ongoing.
There was some activity near Baldwin Drive and Mayfield Road where DJ Young Slade was last seen. We were all hoping it wasn’t the 27-year-old, but when they moved the media away from the scene in the view of yellow tape, those closest to him had a strong feeling.
Lil Jon released this heartfelt message:
“I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother, Nicole Smith, 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. He was an amazingly talented young man, a music producer, an artist and engineer and 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.” - Lil Jon