Today’s class was very engaging and I took a lot away from what we covered. Firstly, we revisited highly compressed music but instead discussed how accenting beats 2 and 4 rather than 1 and 3 is incorrect and results in poor sound. This isn’t just heard in popular music on the radio but it is arguably where you will hear it most frequently. To me, it’s not something you’ll pick up on unless someone shows you and I can’t listen to certain songs the same way now. I feel like I have to rant about it to my friends and tell them what’s wrong with music today though I’m sure this will not be received well so I’ll probably refrain from doing so. I’m grateful to have had it brought to my attention, though. Also, I first learned about black face minstrelsy and minstrel shows in ENG 345 so I was familiar with this discussion but it took a different direction that my other class didn’t explore and discuss. It’s interesting how deeply embedded minstrel shows are in our society and how it has continued in entertainment today. 50 Cent definitely created a character he portrays in his artistry that isn’t who he is all of the time. He comes out of this persona in the same way that minstrel show actors would return to their “non-entertainment” selves. It is safe to say that these personas artists in our contemporary society act as is a product of the influence minstrel shows had many years ago. It’s just too bad it is of racist origin.