Two decades ago, the song “King Without a Crown” placed Matisyahu upon a unique, expressive throne. Overtly spiritual, noted for beatboxing and rapid-fire free verse stylings, he performed in yarmulke and traditional Hasidic beard blending hip-hop, reggae and ethnic melodies to move his music into the mainstream. Relentlessly pushing at the boundaries of genre and expectation, his reign as an artist grew to encompass much more than the novelty of beatboxing Jewish rapper. Today, Matisyahu continues maneuvering the maze of contemporary music, creating his own kingdom through artistry dedicated to family and deeper human understanding. Earlier this month, Matisyahu released his seventh studio album “Ancient Child,” and on Thursday, Oct. 23, the genre-bending performer brings his latest offering to Victory North, 2603 Whitaker St., in the Starland District in Savannah. Founding band member, guitarist and long-time collaborator Aaron Dugan opens the “Ancient Child Tour” at 8 p.m.
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‘Ancient Child’ is a departure from Matisyahu’s earlier works
Matisyahu brings his Ancient Child Tour to Victory North, 2603 Whitaker St., Oct. 23, 2025.
Matisyahu (Mathew Paul Miller) grew up an ‘80s baby in White Plains, New York. He went to Hebrew School and as a teenager studied in Isreal. When he became enamored of the band Phish, he followed them for a time city to city but eventually yearned for something different. Something spiritual. In 2001, Matisyahu moved to Crown Heights, a respected orthodox Jewish neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn, and enrolled in yeshiva where he devoted nearly a decade of study to Hasidic Judaism. He was 21 years old. Without television and other trappings of popular culture, Matisyahu immersed himself in Jewish scripture and principles—sometimes studying and praying as many as 14 hours a day. But music kept its hold. It, too, tugged at his soul. Words, rhythms, rhymes—these potential keys for unlocking larger looming riddles—kept running in his mind. A rabbi eventually granted him permission to travel to Philadelphia where he and a producer recorded the foundation of “King Without a Crown.” On the train back to New York, brain brimming, Matisyahu listened to the track on repeat, crafting lyrics, a hook, and shifting melodies until the song was complete. Since then, Matisyahu, though still an observant Jew, has stepped away from Hasidic life and reverently focuses on that rarified intersection of music and spirituality, where what wells up from the deep mystery of sound and soul brings forth prescient insights of understanding and inspiration for the human condition. The 12 tracks on “Ancient Child” are in many ways departure from Matisyahu’s earlier works. And they should be. He is in a different place—a father to six children, his eldest sons Laivy and Duvbear, 20 and 18 years old respectively, also contributed to the project. A sense of mentorship shines through, making this eclectic yet cohesive release inherently more instructive, contemplative. “It’s a back-and-forth between major and minor key songs,” considered Matisyahu. “Some are more like Afro pop, some more hip-hop heavy, and others have a strong reggae sense. I recorded with a lot of different people and producers over a 10-month period, so each song has its own direction. I like the minor stuff. To me, it’s a little more interesting. If it gets darker or reflects parts of our human experience that are not as enjoyable, it’s always for the sake of reflecting the truth in my mind, my soul, my heart. The darkness is always a springboard towards redemption, towards some kind of light. But for sure, there’s happy songs on the record, too.” “Sound Foundation” is one of those, moving with subtle Afro-pop rhythms and breathing with reverb-rich, angelic vocal samples. The chorus offers, “Just be patient/ When the wind blows/ And the walls start shaking/ Yeah. You know that you can stop the floor from breaking/ Stop the roof from caving/ Cause you know you’re made of a sound foundation.” On the surface, the track offers pat-on-the-back reassurance, but with knowledge of his sons’ artistic contributions, the chorus sings more clearly of encouraging fatherly advice. “Son Come Up” is a collaboration between Matisyahu and his eldest son, Laivy. This track, in a minor key, is not so much dark or brooding but rather ripe with the idea of passing a musical torch from one generation to the next. “When I was having people over to record at the studio, Laivy and Duvbear would watch and try to absorb what was going on,” recalled Matisyahu. “And then if there were moments that I noticed they were writing, I would ask them to do something on the track. They probably did that on several songs, but we found the best ones, “Son Come Up,” “Rockets,” and “Rockin Tempos” that fit with what they were doing.” And “Son Come Up” isn’t so specific as to be non-relatable. The tune employs subtle wordplay in which the homophone “sun” offers a universal interpretation of the song, understated and pleasantly effective in suggesting the power of rising together. Matisyahu goes on to note how much he enjoys working with his children in the creative process of making music in the studio. “You know, there are different stages of parenting, and this part has really been great,” considered Matisyahu. “When they’re young it’s a lot of explaining and communication for little minds to understand. And then getting older, they start choosing the things that they’re into and learning more about themselves. So, it’s been awesome for me as a dad to move into a new zone with them on one of the things I actually know something about, and I can actually be useful.” The ”Ancient Child Tour” highlights the new record but also promises Matisyahu’s greatest hits like “King Without a Crown,” “One Day,” and “Sunshine,” plus a few more from his extensive catalog. Consistent with his live performances, on-the-spot musical exploration flows freely within the band to expand and connect songs. “Fifty percent of the show turns on improvisation,” said Matisyahu. “If we’re starting with a song that’s three minutes long on the album, at the three-minute mark we’re gonna open up and make the experience of that song something different for the audience. I have incredible musicians with me, and improvisation is really where we find a lot of joy in creating incredible live music experiences. Every show is different.” Matisyahu has performed in Savannah just a handful of times, usually sticking to larger markets like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Miami on past tours. But for this one he was adamant about shaking things up. “Savannah hasn’t been one of our regular stops,” said Matisyahu. “I mentioned to the agent that I actually, really wanted to be there and not just Atlanta, and yeah, I’m really looking forward to it… And Forsyth Park, yeah, I’ll plan to go for a run that day. That’s awesome.”
If You Go:
What: Matisyahu “Ancient Child Tour”
Where: Victory North, 2603 Whitaker St., Savannah
When: Doors at 6:30 p.m., downbeat 8:00 p.m., Oct. 23
Tickets: Starting at $46.49, eventbrite.com
Info: victorynorthsavannah.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah’s Victory North welcomes Matisyahu to its Starland stage
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