Son of rapper Lil Jon believed dead, days after going missing

The son of rapper Lil Jon is believed to have been found dead, days after he went missing from his home in the US state of Georgia, authorities said.

Nathan Smith, a rapper who goes by the name DJ Young Slade, was reported missing after police said he ran out of his home early Tuesday without his phone.

After days of searching, the Milton Police Department said a body, believed to be Smith, was located in a nearby pond. The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office was working to provide official confirmation, police said.

"Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play," police said, adding they will continue to examine what led to his death.

Grammy-Award winning artist Lil Jon, known for hits like Yeah! and Turn Down For What, provided a statement to BBC News saying he and Smith's mother, Nicole Smith, were "heartbroken".

"Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted," Lil Jon said in the statement.

"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."

Police said they were contacted about Smith's disappearance on Tuesday morning after the 27-year-old left his home under "unusual circumstances".

An initial missing person poster released by authorities specified that Smith left his house on foot and "may be disoriented and in need of assistance". Family and friends were concerned for his safety, it added.

The pond where the body was discovered Friday morning was not far from Smith's residence in Milton, a city 30 miles (48 km) north of Atlanta, where his father Lil Jon made his music career.

Lil Jon and Smith were frequently pictured together, including last year when the two competed on an episode of the television game show Family Feud.

"He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU," Lil Jon wrote in his statement.

No more information will be released until medical examiners can determine a cause and manner of death, police said.