The soulfully sonic group S.Y.S. is one of the latest female-fronted acts on the Cleveland music scene. Local artists DJ Red-I and Sadhu founded the group to bring to life their vision of an all-queer, Black-women band. Together, the two musicians are eager to create genre-defying sounds alongside their newest member, A.M. The Queen.
S.Y.S.– which stands for “Save Yourself”– is a mantra near and dear to Sadhu, the band’s main lyricist. The name was pulled from the words of her favorite spiritual advisor, Queen Amun Ra, who Sadhu fondly referred to as her “pastor.”
“I just realized that if I’m hearing it this much, maybe it’s something everyone else needs to hear. It should be a daily affirmation: Save yourself,” said Sadhu.
S.Y.S. embodies the undeniable fact that women – especially queer and Black women – have been an integral part of music history.
“I feel that there’s nothing new about a lot of these identities. It’s just finally people having the platform, the space and the safety to say who they are,” said Red-I, who also creates beats under the name Phamily Foto.
The Buckeye Flame caught up with Red-I, Sadhu and A.M. The Queen to discuss the band’s origins, being queer Black musicians in Cleveland and their upcoming Juneteenth performance at Crobar on Saturday, June 17.
The three of you make up Save Yourself– also known as “S.Y.S.” How did you come up with that name?
Sadhu: I listen to a lot of [affirmations by] Queen Amun Ra, so this is a shout-out to her right now. I call her my pastor because I listen to her that much. She says it all the time, “save yourself, save yourself, save yourself,” and I thought that Save Yourself or “S.Y.S.” was something we could all get behind.
How did S.Y.S. come together?
DJ Red-I: I collaborated with Sadhu in a previous act and I always knew I wanted to circle back and work with Sadhu. And then Sadhu was like, what if we build something out and have a full band? After that, she put out this call to all these dope female musicians and we just started jamming more after that.
What has it meant to be queer Black women in Cleveland’s hip-hop scene?
DJ Red-I: Black women, as well as queer Black women, have always been an integral part of hip-hop, if not the whole music scene. We’ve always been here and there’s nothing new about these identities. It’s just finally people having the platform, the space and the safety to say who they are.
A.M. The Queen: It feels so good now to just be in these spaces, be who you are unapologetically and be just as good as the men. You know what I’m saying? It doesn’t take away because I’m a woman, and it actually feels refreshing for sure.
Sadhu: There are so many amazing writers, poets, rappers and queer Black female artists who are really taking the city by storm. I think that we are a part of this larger movement that’s happening right before us. We are growing and we are running with it.
It sounds like there are a lot of Black and/or queer women artists in Cleveland. Do you all feel connected, or do you think S.Y.S. is part of a growing movement to bring people together?
DJ Red-I: Right now, there are a lot of awesome queer DJs, acts, events, parties and scenes that are thriving. It’s a really good space. I know you’ve mentioned hip-hop a lot and that’s an aspect of what we do, but we aren’t limiting ourselves to that. Like, our first single is a reggae single. Hip-hop is a facade of the cube, but it’s not the whole cube of what we do.
Speaking of your latest single, “Show Me,” what is that song about?
Sadhu: “Show Me” is a love song. It’s about break-ups and getting over it. It’s that moment when you wanna go back outside. It was one of the first songs we wrote as a collaboration with the band in mind. It’s our love child.
Let’s talk about your upcoming Juneteenth show on Saturday, June 17th. Can you tell us a little bit about the show?
DJ Red-I: We’ll be performing with Will Cherry and Dirty D. There will also be sets by DJ Kellevators and DJ Palaces. I also just gotta throw a quick shout-out to Gerad—who’s the owner of Crobar—who created something like an oasis or garden for the music scene to really develop. It’s been amazing the way he’s been able to fortify this scene and give the people a place to gather.
Lastly, what advice would you have for new musicians looking to break into the scene in Cleveland?
Sadhu: Gratitude is the attitude and your attitude determines your altitude. You gotta pay your dues and stick with it. I promise it’ll pay off.
DJ Red-I: You need to be going to shows as often as possible. Your network is your net worth. I think you first have to ask where you can support before you ask to be supported. Queer people aren’t different from any other people. Just get out there and get in the community.
AM The Queen: Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. And not only that, it is all about building and sharpening my tools. Iron sharpens iron. So collabing with other artists and learning about yourself, learning a new sound, I think that also helps. You know, you gotta start somewhere. 🔥
Ignite Action
- Follow S.Y.S. on Instagram and listen/download “Show Me” here.
- Tickets will be on sale for $10 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m. More info here.
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