Key Takeaways
- Lil Jon says he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye at age 6 with his diabetic mother's insulin syringe, causing a traumatic cataract that required a corneal transplant.
- Lil Jon reveals that a lazy eye developed in adulthood required another operation, which he says is why he still wears his trademark sunglasses.
- Lil Jon's memoir with Paul Cantor, "I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me," also covers crunk-era Atlanta, "Get Low," Usher's "Yeah!" and his son Nathan's death earlier this year.
- The 304-page book arrives Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Lil Jon appearances in New York on Oct. 21, Los Angeles on Oct. 26, and a virtual TalkShopLive event on Oct. 30.
A freak accident during childhood resulted in Lil Jon intentionally hiding his eyes with sunglasses to avoid being teased.
The crunk music producer and hype man, who releases his debut memoir, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, on Oct. 20, spoke to People about the injury behind his signature sunglasses. As the 55-year-old artist, real name Jonathan Smith, wrote in the book, his diabetic mother took insulin shots. At 6 years old, Lil Jon was curious about how air from the syringe would feel on his eye but accidentally stabbed himself in the process.
After seeing multiple doctors, Lil Jon discovered that he had developed “traumatic cataract from the needle” and underwent numerous surgeries, including a corneal transplant. The entertainer would ultimately wear a metal eyepatch to school.
"I definitely was teased in school. At that age, if somebody's different, they're going to pick on you. I became shy, but somehow I turned it into I want to always prove people wrong," he said.
As he got older, Lil Jon explains that his signature look also took cues from the greats. In a YouTube short, he explains, “I noticed superstars wore sunglasses.”
The “Turn Down for What” artist turned his attention to music to overcome shyness but leaned on self-motivation to become a world-renowned success. “Whenever people have put me down,” he continued, “I used that as fuel in my fire to excel.”
In I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, Lil Jon also chronicles the untimely death of his son, Nathan Smith, also known as DJ Young Slade, who died from an accidental drowning under the effects of psilocybin in February. The 27-year-old, who Lil Jon shares with his estranged wife, Nicole Smith, was found in a retention pond in Milton, Georgia, after being reported missing.
In his memoir, Lil Jon recounted the final apology he gave his son in a phone call after being “too hard” on Smith regarding healing from “emotional difficulties.”
“So, I called Nathan to apologize. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I see that you’re trying, and I want you to know that you are seen. All the effort you’ve been putting in — I see it. And I see you,” Lil Jon wrote. “Little did I know that was the last time I would talk to him.”
