Nathan Smith, the 27-year-old son of Grammy-winning artist Lil Jon, passed away earlier in February. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office officially confirmed the cause of his death on Friday, February 27, stating that Smith died as a result of drowning. The medical examiner further specified that the drowning occurred “in the setting of psilocybin use,” and the manner of his passing has been officially ruled an accident.

Psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, is a chemical found in certain types of mushrooms that, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), can induce distorted sights and sounds and lead to a loss of one's sense of time and space. While known for its hallucinogenic effects, the NIH also highlights that its federal agency partners, including the National Institute of Drug Abuse, support ongoing research into psilocybin’s potential applications for treating substance abuse and various mental health issues.

Smith, who was known in the music community by his production alias DJ Young Slade, was reported missing on February 3. His body was tragically discovered by authorities on February 6 in a Georgia pond situated near his residence. A statement from the Milton Police Department’s Facebook account on that day read, “On Feb. 6, at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond. The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.”

Lil Jon expressed profound sorrow and devastation over the loss of his son, an NYU graduate, in an earlier statement to Billboard. “I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of my son, Nathan Smith,” the Atlanta native shared. “His mother 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 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.”

Following his son's passing, Lil Jon shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram on February 19, featuring a slideshow of photos with Nathan, and confirmed that he had been laid to rest. Nathan Smith was the only son of Lil Jon and his estranged wife, Nicole Smith, with whom he was married for 18 years before their separation in 2022. Lil Jon also shares a 1-year-old daughter with his current girlfriend, Jamila Sozahdah.