Hologram Performance Divides the Hip-Hop Scene

In the days after Coachella, awe and skepticism mingled: Tupac’s appearance as a projection divided the scene.

“Genius” for Nas, a “Trip” for Warren G

Nas called the idea “genius” to Billboard: Tupac had become almost like Elvis, whom some believed was still alive. Kendrick Lamar told MTV he had no idea Dre was planning something like that. Warren G, according to The Source, spoke of a “trip.”

The Real Tupac Would Never Have Greeted Coachella

A Billboard commentary struck a more sober note: the audience had visibly received the scene with uncertainty. The shout-out to the festival would never have come from the real Tupac, since Coachella only began three years after his death.

In The Guardian, Alex Macpherson wrote that the “resurrection” was another milestone in Tupac’s mythology, fitting the stubborn legend that he was still alive. At the same time, he pointed out that Tupac had long been recreated in statues, comics, and videos.

The performance sparked a fundamental debate that later affected other estates as well: How far should one go in bringing the deceased onto the stage?