Lil Jon Reveals Shocking Family Secret About the Man Who Raised Him

Getty

Lil Jon is opening up about a family revelation he never saw coming.

The Grammy-winning rapper and producer, 55, recently discovered that the man who raised him was not his biological father, leaving him with unanswered questions about his family history.

Lil Jon, whose real name is Jonathan Smith, shared the personal discovery in his new memoir, “I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me,” set for release Tuesday, Oct. 20.

“You never think that will happen to you,” he told PEOPLE in an interview published Oct. 19. “And when it happens to you, it just knocks you back, and you got so many questions.”

The “Turn Down for What” rapper grew up believing Willie, who raised him alongside his mother, Carrie, was his biological father. He was raised with two brothers, Willie Jr. and Chris, and two adopted siblings, Mario and Sheena.

Willie passed away from bone marrow cancer in the early 2000s, before Lil Jon reached the height of his music career. His mother, who witnessed his rise to fame, passed away in 2013 following complications from diabetes.

Lil Jon Explains How He Discovered His Family Secret

Lil Jon revealed that the discovery came after a cousin took a DNA test to learn more about their family’s ancestry.

“He shared his map with me,” the rapper recalled. “We weren’t matching for some reason.”

Although his cousin reassured him that their family bond remained unchanged, the results raised questions about Lil Jon’s biological father.

“Neither one of my fathers are here anymore, nor my mother, so I can’t get answers,” he explained. “And that drives you crazy as well, until you get to the point where you have to accept that you will never get answers.”

Lil Jon also revealed that two siblings from his biological father’s side have since reached out to him. However, he admitted that he has not been ready to have those conversations.

“I have had my brother and sister reach out on my biological dad’s side, but I haven’t been ready to process that yet and have that conversation, because it’s just so heavy, man,” he said.

“It’s just hard to process. It takes time.”

Lil Jon Reflects on Family and Losing His Son Nathan

The family revelation comes as Lil Jon continues to grieve the loss of his 27-year-old son, Nathan Smith, who was known professionally as DJ Young Slade.

Nathan, whom the rapper shared with ex-wife Nicole Smith, passed away in February 2026 after going missing near his home in Milton, Georgia. Authorities later ruled his passing an accidental drowning associated with psilocybin use.

In a separate interview with PEOPLE, Lil Jon revealed that he had nearly completed his memoir before Nathan’s passing but decided to dedicate the book to his son and include an additional chapter about the experience.

The rapper also recalled their final conversation, which followed a disagreement between the two. After attending therapy, Lil Jon called Nathan to apologize and acknowledge his efforts, ending their conversation on a positive note.

Although he returned to touring three months later, Lil Jon admitted that he had struggled to fully process his grief.

The rapper continues to find strength in his family, including his young daughter, Nahara, whom he shares with partner Jamila Sozahdah.

Reflecting on what fatherhood has taught him, Lil Jon shared an important lesson about appreciating loved ones.

“The No. 1 lesson I tell people now is, don’t feel like you can put something off for tomorrow, because you don’t know how much time you have with people,” he said. “Fatherhood has taught me that family is everything.”