Lil Jon reveals childhood accident behind his signature sunglasses in rare personal confession

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Grammy-winning rapper and producer Lil Jon is opening up about his childhood injury, music career, and relationship with his late son Nathan Smith in his upcoming memoir, 'I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me'.

The 54-year-old artist, born Jonathan Smith, reflects on how a childhood accident shaped his decision to wear sunglasses and his determination to prove people wrong. Following Nathan’s unexpected death at 27 in February, Jon also added a chapter to the book, dedicating it to his son.

Lil Jon reveals childhood eye injury and how it shaped his career

In 'I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me', which comes out Tuesday, October 20, Jon reveals that a childhood accident left him with a traumatic cataract and influenced his decision to conceal his eyes.

Growing up in Atlanta, he watched his diabetic mother, Carrie, take insulin shots. Around age six, he took one of her syringes and curiously wanted to see how the air felt on his eye, accidentally stabbing himself in the eyeball. After seeing numerous doctors, Jon learned he had a “traumatic cataract from the needle.”

He underwent multiple surgeries, including a corneal transplant, and had to wear a metal eye patch to school. The experience also left him vulnerable to bullying.

“I definitely was teased in school,” Jon tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

“At that age if somebody’s different, they’re going to pick on you. I became shy,” recalls the 'Get Low' musician. “But somehow I turned it into, ‘I want to always prove people wrong.’”

Jon learned to play the drums shortly before the injury and focused on music from a young age. As an adult, he developed a lazy eye because of the accident. Although he underwent another surgery to help the condition, he continues to wear sunglasses.

“Whenever people have put me down,” says Jon, “I used that as fuel in my fire to excel.” His determination also influenced how he built his career. In the memoir, he describes bringing his own records to nightclubs across the country to get his music played.

Lil Jon reflects on his relationship and final conversation with son Nathan Smith

Jon and his ex-wife, Nicole Smith, welcomed Nathan in 1998. Nathan followed his father into music as DJ Young Slade, and the two collaborated on music and performed live together. “A lot of fathers don’t get to do that type of stuff with their sons,” Jon says. “I’m thankful for every day.”

In the memoir, Jon describes spending time with Nathan in the recording studio and calls him a “good-luck charm” for being present during the recording of his 2014 hit 'Turn Down for What'. Nathan later worked as an engineer during some of Jon’s recording sessions, including those for his 2024 'Total Meditation' album.

“I could have easily got another engineer, but I’d rather be doing that with my son,” Jon explains. “We had so many good experiences in the studio.”

Although their relationship experienced ups and downs, Jon says Nathan was dealing with physical and mental stress before his death. Their final in-person conversation included a “little back-and-forth.” Following a therapy session, Jon called his son to apologize.

“We had an amazing conversation, and basically I said I was sorry, and I was like, ‘You know what? I see you,’” he recalls. “He was just like, ‘Wow, thank you so much, Dad.’”

That call was their last conversation. Nathan went missing in early February and was found dead days later in a pond near his home in Milton, Georgia. His death was ruled accidental, with the cause recorded as “drowning in the setting of psilocybin use.”