1k Phew

Isaac Gordon, known professionally as 1K Phew, is an American Christian hip-hop artist and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for combining the sounds, rhythms and energy of Southern trap music with faith-centered lyrics and personal stories about redemption, struggle and life in Atlanta. His music is often described as gospel rap or trap gospel, and his distinctive approach has made him one of the notable artists in the modern Christian hip-hop scene.

1K Phew’s music draws heavily from his own experiences. Raised around the church but also exposed to the pressures and temptations of street life, he eventually turned those experiences into the foundation of his artistry. Rather than separating his Christian faith from his Southern hip-hop background, he has built his music around the two worlds existing together. This has become one of the defining characteristics of his work.

He became more widely known after developing a relationship with Christian rapper Lecrae and joining Reach Records in 2017. Since then, he has released several projects, including What’s Understood, What’s Understood 2, No Church in a While, As I Am, Pray for Atlanta, Let Go Let God: The EP, What’s Understood 3 and Any Given Sunday. His collaborations with Lecrae, as well as work with artists such as Zaytoven, Forrest Frank, Jonathan McReynolds, Trip Lee and others, have helped establish him as an important voice in contemporary Christian rap.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Background

1K Phew was born Isaac Gordon and grew up in the Atlanta area, particularly in Lithonia, Georgia. His upbringing was strongly connected to Christianity. He participated in church activities from an early age, including singing in the choir and taking part in youth programs. At the same time, his environment exposed him to a very different side of life, and as a teenager he became increasingly involved with the streets and began struggling with the conflict between his church upbringing and the world around him.

That contrast eventually became central to his identity as an artist. In interviews, 1K Phew has spoken openly about growing up in church while being drawn toward street culture. His music consequently tends to focus less on presenting an idealized Christian life and more on telling stories about mistakes, temptation, faith and personal transformation.

A significant turning point came during his teenage years. According to accounts of his story, he was involved in selling drugs to help pay for college when a deal went wrong and his vehicle was shot at. Surviving the incident caused him to reconsider the direction of his life and strengthened his commitment to his faith. He later began using music as a way of documenting his experiences and sharing his testimony.

Beginning of His Music Career

Before reaching a mainstream Christian hip-hop audience, 1K Phew developed his craft independently and released early projects that reflected his personal experiences. His early mixtapes included Sunday Night in 2015 and Life in 2016. These releases established the basic approach that would later become associated with his music: Southern rap influences combined with openly Christian themes and autobiographical storytelling.

His growing reputation eventually brought him into contact with Lecrae and the wider Reach Records community. In 2017, he appeared on “Hammer Time” from Lecrae’s album All Things Work Together. The collaboration introduced 1K Phew to a much larger audience and became an important step in his professional development.

Later that year, he officially joined Reach Records. The Atlanta-based label, founded by Lecrae and Ben Washer, had already become one of the leading names in Christian hip-hop, making the signing an important moment in 1K Phew’s career.

Career and Breakthrough

After signing with Reach Records, 1K Phew continued developing his sound through a series of releases. In 2019, he released What’s Understood and What’s Understood 2, projects that helped establish him as one of the label’s distinctive voices. The second installment also featured production associated with Zaytoven, connecting his Christian rap with the sound of mainstream Atlanta trap.

One of the most important chapters of his career came through his partnership with Lecrae. The two artists developed a particularly strong creative relationship, eventually releasing the collaborative album No Church in a While in December 2021. The project presented their shared Atlanta background and Christian faith through a contemporary Southern hip-hop sound.

No Church in a While received major recognition, winning Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. The project helped demonstrate that 1K Phew could operate successfully within Christian music without abandoning the trap influences that shaped him.

He followed the project with As I Am in 2022. The album included appearances from artists such as Jonathan McReynolds and Trip Lee and continued his focus on authenticity, faith and the realities of navigating life after leaving his former lifestyle behind.

Musical Style and Influences

1K Phew’s music is rooted in Atlanta’s hip-hop culture. His production frequently draws from trap, while his lyrics center on Christianity, personal testimony and the realities of street life. His delivery is generally relaxed and melodic, allowing him to move between rapping and more vocal-driven passages without losing the rhythmic character of his music.

What distinguishes his approach is the way he treats his faith as part of his everyday identity rather than as something separate from his cultural background. His songs can contain the sounds, slang and energy associated with Atlanta trap while simultaneously dealing with prayer, redemption, Jesus and spiritual growth.

He has also been particularly interested in showing the tension between sacred and street environments. Songs such as “Church House Trap House” reflect this perspective directly, presenting church culture and street culture as realities that can exist within the same person’s life. His stated goal has been to reach people who may know God while still feeling trapped by their circumstances.

Notable Releases and Collaborations

Throughout his career, 1K Phew has built a catalogue that includes solo albums, collaborative projects, mixtapes and singles. Among his notable releases are What’s Understood, What’s Understood 2, No Church in a While, As I Am, Pray for Atlanta, Let Go Let God: The EP and What’s Understood 3.

Pray for Atlanta, released in 2024, placed his hometown even more prominently at the center of his music. The album included production from Zaytoven and featured appearances from Pastor Troy, Young Dro and Hunxho, demonstrating the extent to which 1K Phew has continued to connect Christian rap with Atlanta’s broader hip-hop culture.

His 2024 Let Go Let God: The EP expanded on the success of the song “Let Go Let God.” The project included several versions of the track, including “Let Go Let God (The Anthem)” featuring KB and Hulvey. His collaboration with Lecrae on “MOVE” also gained significant attention, eventually leading to the 2025 remix “MOVE IT!” with Forrest Frank.

In October 2025, he released What’s Understood 3, a 17-track project featuring artists and collaborators including WHATUPRG, DJ Mykael and IAMBARABBAS. The following year, he released Any Given Sunday, a 13-track album that continued his Atlanta-centered gospel rap approach.

Awards, Recognition and Current Career

1K Phew’s work has received recognition within both Christian music and hip-hop. His collaborative album with Lecrae, No Church in a While, won Rap/Hip-Hop Gospel Album of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. He has also received a Stellar Award, further establishing his place within the wider gospel music community.

His music has reached beyond traditional Christian music platforms as well. His work has appeared in campaigns for major brands and on 2K Sports soundtracks, while “MOVE” became a notable crossover success within Christian music. His ability to retain an unmistakably Atlanta sound while communicating a Christian message has helped him connect with listeners who may not normally identify with conventional gospel music.

In 2025, he continued releasing new music, including “All I Need,” “Aretha,” “Yet” and “MOVE IT!” His catalogue expanded again with What’s Understood 3, and in May 2026 he released Any Given Sunday. He remains associated with Reach Records and continues to perform and release music, with appearances and performances scheduled through 2026.

1K Phew’s place in Christian hip-hop comes largely from his willingness to tell his story without separating his faith from the culture that shaped him. His music brings together Atlanta trap, gospel themes and personal testimony in a way that feels rooted in his own experience. Rather than presenting Christian rap as a departure from Southern hip-hop, he has helped demonstrate how the two can coexist, giving his work a distinct identity within contemporary gospel and hip-hop.