MILTON, Ga. - The body of 27-year-old Nathan Murray Smith, a local performer known professionally as DJ Young Slade, was found after he was reported missing earlier this week, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed.
On his official Instagram page, Lil Jon, in a joint statement with Smith's mother, Nicole, wrote:
"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.
"Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days. Thank you to the entire Milton police department involved: Detective Dula Milton, Investigators Sergeant Scott Lappin, Detective Randy Dula, Detective Sarah Moore, and Detective Daniel Williams. Sandy Springs police department, Fulton county sheriff's office, Haralson County Sheriff's Office, Cherokee Fire Department, Forsyth County Fire Department, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, Georgia K9 Team Search and Recovery, and multiple volunteers, as well as the Milton Fire Department and Cherokee Rescue and Dive Team, and Craig Brazemen."
The news has shaken the tight-knit Milton community. On Friday afternoon, mourners began leaving tributes near the site where Smith was found. Sabrina Bernal and Miya Villagrana, who live a few miles away in Woodstock, arrived to drop off white flowers.
"When I found the news he was missing, I was very sad. My heart goes out to his parents," Bernal said. "I have a daughter his age and yeah it felt like we should come and put some flowers down."
Bernal, visibly emotional, added that she could not imagine the pain the family is experiencing. "I put myself in his mother's shoes. It’s heartbreaking, ah, very heartbreaking," she said.
Villagrana, a fan of Smith’s father, noted the tragedy of a life cut short. "He is my sister's age and he is just starting his life," she said. "Whatever he was going through seems very sad."
Officials said the body was recovered in a pond near Smith's home around 11:53 a.m. Friday by the Cherokee County Fire Department.
First responders from the Cherokee County Fire Department recover a body from a pond near Mayfield Park in Milton during the search for missing performer Nathan Smith, also known as DJ Young Slade, on Friday, February 6, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
SKYFOX 5 was over a pond near Mayfield Road and Baldwin Drive in Milton, which is near Smith's home, late Friday morning when they observed something being recovered from the water.
The object was carried to a nearby tent. Dozens of first responders and the Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services Dive Team were observed at the park and in the pond before the discovery was made.
Smith was reported missing Feb. 3 after he left his home at approximately 6 a.m. without his phone. Milton police and local agencies began a search almost immediately, posting a missing person flyer to social media Tuesday afternoon.
It was later confirmed that Smith is the son of Atlanta rapper and producer Lil Jon, whose legal name is Jonathan Smith.
On Thursday, the search concentrated on the Mayfield Park area. Law enforcement deployed several K-9 units to scour the neighborhood and nearby bodies of water, including a specialized bloodhound from the Haralson County Sheriff’s Office. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said the bloodhound has completed 25 successful searches in the last year.
The search continued Friday morning for 27-year-old Nathan Smith, a local performer known professionally as DJ Young Slade. SKYFOX was flying over a pond in the area late Friday morning when a dive team was observed pulling something from the water. This is a breaking news story.
What's next:
The Fulton County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on Monday. The cause and manner of death have not been determined.
Police said they do not believe there was any foul play, but detectives are still investigating.
