Lil Jon gets candid about his life changing DNA discovery

Lil Jon revealed what came after his family bombshell.

In his memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, the acclaimed rapper has disclosed that he recently discovered his father is not his biological parent.

Now, speaking with People Magazine, the hip-hop star formally known as Jonathan Smith opened up how the family secret left him stunned.

“You never think that will happen to you,” the rapper and producer shared, “And when it happens to you, it just knocks you back, and you got so many questions.”

For those unaware, the star was brought up by his mother Carrie and non-biological father, Willie, who died in the 2000s due to bone marrow cancer, while his mother passed away in 2013.

Looking back at Willie’s death, the Grammy winning artist revealed that “He didn’t really see me become a star,” adding, “would’ve just been so proud” of how far his son had come.

“She was just so happy because I was the firstborn, so I was the baby,” the rapper said of his mother who got to experience his rise to stardom.

Notably, the revelation came to light after his cousin used a DNA test to explore their family roots, saying, “He shared his map with me,” and “We weren’t matching for some reason.”

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

Noting, “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.”

“It’s just hard to process. It takes time,” he further added.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lil Jon’s memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me is set to be released on October 20, 2026.