Lil Jon’s Son Said His Dad Inspired His Music Career 

Lil Jon’s eldest child, his son Nathan Smith, followed in his footsteps when he became a DJ. After watching his father DJ live, Smith, who now performs as DJ Young Slade, realized he wanted a similar career. He shared how his father helped him and how he has established himself as his own artist.

Lil Jon’s son followed in his father’s footsteps with his music career

Smith grew up around music, but he said one moment in his childhood made him want to dedicate his life to it.

“[My dad] brought me to an after-party he was DJing, and I just saw him rocking the crowd. He was on the mic, and he was just playing all the jams where everybody was dancing,” he told The Quintessential Gentleman. “Telling them to put their hands up, they put their hands up, telling them to put them down, they put them down. And I was like, Oh my God, I’m so excited to be here.”

He said his father helped him get started when they got home. After that, though, Lil Jon allowed Smith to develop his own musical identity. 

“It impressed me. We went home and he put on this app Serato on my computer,” he said. “I was messing around with some beats and songs and he was like, ‘Man, that sounds cool.’ So he set me up with some turntables, and that was history. He just taught me a few things and just let me do my thing.”

Smith is currently missing in Georgia. The family is asking for privacy “for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe,” a publicist told NBC News. Smith is 27 years old.