Every year, artists post advertisements for Grammy voters to consider when nominating records for awards season. Those awards can radically alter their career, giving them a sense of credibility within the music industry. However, for Lil Jon, he’s not petitioning just for the sake of prestige. He’s pleading with Grammy voters in the hopes that they can honor his late son Nathan ‘Slade’ Smith.
In a post on social media, he revealed that his son was integral to the making of his meditation albums. Consequently, receiving an award would honor him and his contributions before he passed away. “He engineered my meditation albums, and his talent lives on in this music,” Lil Jon shared. “Your consideration means the world.”
Back in February 2026, Nathan Smith passed away at 27 years old. Authorities found no evidence of foul play. The Cherokee County Fire Department found his body in a local park pond. Eventually, authorities declared his death an accidental drowning under the influence of psychedelics.
At the time, the hip-hop legend wrote a heartbreaking tribute to his son. “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 shared. “He loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest.”
Lil Jon Pleads for The Grammys to Pay Tribute to His Late Son
“He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and a graduate of NYU,” he added. “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.”
Ultimately, the only effective way Lil Jon found to help properly grieve his tragic loss was to write his memoir. Back in June 2026, he told TMZ that it gave him more to write about, more to reflect on through his eventful life. By putting his feelings on paper, he hoped to help anyone else grappling with grief.
“I look at it like me telling my story and what I’m going through could help someone else to get through it because I’m not alone,” Lil Jon said. “That’s one thing that helped me get through it, too. So many people reaching out and sending me prayers and love, and then also other celebrities reaching out that have experienced loss and similar loss, giving me the opportunity to speak with them if I needed to.”
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images
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