About the track

“IJS” (I’m Just Saying) builds on a rhythm reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us,” creating immediate sonic and thematic connections to one of pop music’s most powerful protest anthems. With Charles Louis Rosario providing empowering vocals and The Cause2k delivering bars about governmental oppression and systematic racism, the track functions as spiritual successor to MJ’s unflinching critique. The production creates an empowering, anthemic vibe despite heavy subject matter, designed for collective chanting and communal validation. The repeated “I’m just saying” refrain serves as both disclaimer and accusation—polite language wrapping radical truth, softening delivery without diluting message.

The Message

The track comprehensively documents how government policies and systematic racism continue crushing Black communities through direct oppression and willful neglect. From Reagan-era crack distribution to police killings like Philando Castile’s, from millionaires supporting political villains to trauma that creates PTSD in entire communities, the lyrics catalog ongoing warfare disguised as governance. There’s particular focus on collective amnesia—how quickly people forget historical atrocities and ongoing injustice, how rich Black celebrities abandon struggling communities, how CRT bans erase truthful history teaching. The repeated emphasis on stress acknowledges psychological warfare’s impact, how constant oppression creates mental health crises that further damage already traumatized communities. The message refuses letting anyone pretend ignorance or claim progress has been made when conditions prove otherwise.

The Sound

The rhythm section deliberately evokes Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us,” creating instant recognition and emotional connection to that track’s powerful protest energy. Charles Louis Rosario’s vocals provide empowering, anthemic qualities that transform heavy subject matter into communal rallying cry. The production balances darkness with uplift, anger with hope, creating something that can function as both protest march soundtrack and personal affirmation. The beat drives forward with purpose and momentum, suggesting movement toward justice rather than paralysis in despair. Strategic vocal layering and call-response elements encourage group participation, making this track designed for crowds, for gatherings, for collective expression of shared truth and shared pain.

The Facts

The Philando Castile shooting in 2016, streamed live on Facebook as his girlfriend documented police killing him during a traffic stop despite his compliance, represents one of many high-profile cases where video evidence contradicts police narratives yet rarely produces justice. According to Mapping Police Violence, over 1,100 people are killed by police annually in the United States, with Black people three times more likely to be killed than white people. Research on racial trauma documents how witnessing or experiencing police violence creates PTSD symptoms across entire communities—not just victims and their families but anyone who sees themselves reflected in the victims, creating collective trauma that compounds across generations. This systematic violence functions as terrorism, creating psychological control through fear even for those not directly victimized.

In Closing

“IJS” captures the exhaustion of repeatedly stating obvious truths while being dismissed, gaslit, or told to calm down—the Black American experience of watching the world witness your oppression then debate whether it’s really happening. By connecting to Michael Jackson’s legacy of protest music, the track reminds listeners that these issues aren’t new, that artists have been documenting governmental abuse for decades, that the soundtrack of resistance spans generations. The “I’m just saying” refrain perfectly encapsulates the frustration of needing to soft-pedal truth for it to be heard, adding polite disclaimers to avoid being dismissed as angry or unreasonable. This track will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to package valid rage in acceptable language to be taken seriously, who’s watched injustice happen in plain sight then been told they’re overreacting. Sometimes “I’m just saying” means “I’m screaming but you refuse to hear.”

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