Lil Jon is opening up about how his almost 2-year-old daughter, Nahara, helped him endure the death of his 27-year-old son, Nathan Smith.

During an appearance on ABC’s Nightline to promote his recently released memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, the Atlanta producer spoke with ABC News correspondent Stephanie Ramos about the devastating loss and the comfort he found in his young daughter’s love.

Nathan died in an accidental drowning this past February, while Lil Jon was still writing the memoir. The tragedy became one of several life-changing experiences that shaped the period in which the book was completed.

“I didn’t realize I was gonna go through life-changing things while I was writing this book, like the loss of my son,” he said. “So, I think it was all divine timing with this book happening because these stories needed to be told.”

How Nahara Helped Him Through the Pain

Lil Jon did not minimize the toll of losing his son, describing the months since Nathan’s death as both difficult and emotionally grueling. He said several things have helped him continue through the grief, with Nahara providing a particularly powerful source of warmth.

“It’s been rough,” he said. “It’s been hard. It’s a bunch of things that have helped me get through it, like my daughter.”

He continued, “You know, my daughter is almost 2 years old now, and, you know, having part of me ripped out of my chest, she was able to help to repair some of that. When I was cold, she was able to warm me up with her love.”

His comments place the memoir’s release in an intensely personal context. What began as an effort to tell his story was still in progress when he was confronted with the unexpected death of his son. In the interview, Lil Jon connected the timing of the book with his belief that those experiences and stories needed to be shared.

Lil Jon Addresses Questions About His Father

The loss of Nathan was not the only emotional subject Lil Jon discussed during the conversation. He also reflected on learning that the father who raised him was not his biological father.

That discovery left him with questions he cannot now take back to the man who raised him. Lil Jon described moving through anger, frustration, sadness and doubt as he reconsidered what he had understood about his own life.

“You know, I can’t go back and ask my father that raised me, ‘Did you know?’” he said. “It’s so many unanswered questions, and it just beats you up.”

He also wondered what his life might have been like if he had known his biological father, including what that man might have taught him and what Lil Jon might have learned from him.

“It’s just everything you go through, and it’s just like your life is not what you thought your life is,” he said.

ShowBiz Take

Lil Jon’s Nightline interview gives the release of I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me an added emotional dimension. His reflections are not limited to looking back: They also show how the memoir’s creation overlapped with the death of Nathan and a period of profound grief.

The conversation brings together two deeply personal reckonings. One concerns unanswered questions about Lil Jon’s biological father and the family history he thought he knew. The other centers on the sudden loss of his adult son and the healing presence of his very young daughter.

Most strikingly, Lil Jon presents Nahara’s love not as something that erased his pain, but as a force that helped repair part of what felt torn away. That distinction gives his remarks their weight: He is candid about how hard the loss has been while also acknowledging the people and experiences helping him move through it.

What Happens Next?

Lil Jon’s interview with Ramos is featured on the Wednesday, Oct. 21 episode of Nightline. The program airs at 12:35 a.m. ET on ABC, with episodes available to stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.