Lil Jon’s Son’s Cause of Death Revealed

The cause of death of rapper Lil Jon’s 27-year-old son, Nathan Smith, has been revealed. TMZ reports the musician died of an accidental drowning.

The Georgia Fulton County Medical Examiner determined Smith, whose stage name was DJ Young Slade, died from “drowning in the setting of psilocybin use.” The manner of death was ruled as an accident.

Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic compound found in mushrooms. It was discovered in Smith’s blood during his autopsy. It is found in over 200 mushroom species, featuring both hallucinogenic and serotonergic effects. Research reveals that it is an investigational drug being studied for therapeutic uses, with potential effects on mood, emotion, and sensory perception. 

Smith’s body was found in a pond near his home in Milton, Georgia, about 30 miles north of Atlanta. At the time, he was reported missing, with his parents noting that he ran out of his home on foot and hasn’t been seen, adding that he didn’t have a phone, he may be disoriented, and he could be in need of help. 

Under the pathologic diagnosis, the medical examiner’s report also confirms that Smith’s body was recovered from a retention pond and states there was water-immersion wrinkling in his hands, PEOPLE reports. Police didn’t expect foul play amid his being a missing person.

Regarding his son’s death, Lil Jon released a statement to media outlets. “I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated,” the rapper said. “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,” the statement continued. “He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together we’re comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him.”