ARTIST BIO

Ion the Producer (born Phillip Lee Sherrill Jr.) is a Charlotte, North Carolina based Christian hip-hop artist whose music bridges raw street authenticity with the uncompromised gospel. Raised across multiple cities in North Carolina ultimately growing up in Raleigh. Ion’s early life was marked by street culture, addiction, violence, and incarceration. His journey included drug involvement, heavy drinking and weed use, robbing people, surviving shootings, and enduring the devastating loss of his baby girl while serving time in prison.

Everything changed when God began transforming his heart and renewing his mind. Ion first encountered Christian rap in 1996 through Grapetree Records pioneers like Lil Raskull, Gospel Gangstaz, and Israel the Warrior; artists who blended the sound of the streets with the message of Christ. What began as curiosity became the avenue God used to call him back to His purpose.

Today, Ion’s life is a full-circle redemption story. He is a husband, father, college graduate, business owner, and Assistant Pastor at Restoration Christian Fellowship in Winston-Salem, NC. His transformation fuels his mission: to preserve the authenticity of the gospel in modern hip-hop and deliver music that reaches both the church and the streets with truth and power.

Ion is no newcomer to the industry. His experience spans both the secular and Christian hip-hop worlds, having worked with artists ranging from Bun B to Gospel Gangstaz to Miles Minnick. His versatility as a producer, artist, and creative visionary gives him a unique edge in today’s evolving soundscape.

In 2025, Ion officially signed with Grapetree Records, now owned by legendary artist Lil Raskull; the same figure whose music helped shape Ion’s early understanding of Christian rap. This milestone marks a divine alignment and the launch of Ion’s bold new season in music.

Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ion is committed to creating a revitalized “prototype” of Christian rap music that is sonically compelling, spiritually grounded, and undeniably real. His story is a testimony. His sound is a movement. And his mission is clear:

Glorify God. Reach the streets. Preserve the gospel.

ION in ministry mode @ Restoration Christian fellowship in Winston Salem, NC where he serves as Associate Pastor.