Hologram Tupac Fools My Girlfriend

If you haven't been living under a rock the last 48 hours, chances are you've already seen the mind-blowingly awesome surprise 3D holographic performance at Coachella 2012, featuring none other than the legend himself, Tupac Shakur (aka Makaveli).

 

The eery performance is enough to send chills down your spine, especially for rap fans like myself who still keep Pac's timeless tunes in heavy rotation. I can't imagine what is was like to be there and watch a holographic Tupac light up the stage and ignite fans, like he did all those years ago.

And here's what happened today....

To be transported back to rap's heyday, I load up the video on YouTube and switch it to full-screen. My girlfriend, a fellow Tupac groupie, sits next to me. Snoop Dogg struts on stage to perform '2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted' with a very energetic, if somewhat luminescent, Makaveli. My girlfriend remarks that "even back then, Snoop looked really old. I wonder how old is Snoop now?".

My girlfriend actually thought she was watching a classic performance of a 'very much alive' Tupac and who she believed was an 'ageless' Snoop Doggy Dog.

While I acknowledge that 3D holograms have been around for years, and I'm aware of the Holographic Elvis & Celine Dion duet on American Idol back in 2007, this "live" performance at Coachella is a game changer. It should be seen as a testament to how far we've come as a technologically advanced society. We now have the power to bring people back from the dead! And to think, this digital marvel took only 4 months and between $100k-400k to produce (kudos to the brilliant team at Digital Domain). How was it created? Read more over at the Wall Street Journal.

What does this say for the future of the music industry, and touring in general? There has already been talk of Hologram Tupac going on tour with Dre & Snoop later in the year. A holographic artist wouldn't need management and wouldn't have a crazy list of back-stage demands, for a start...

I can't help but let my mind wander. I've already started to dream up concerts featuring artists who were taken from us way before their time was up. Kurt Cobain tearing up the stage again, with Dave Grohl in tow, in a Nirvana reunion is what instantly springs to mind. That's a concert I would pay good money to "experience". And what about a Beatles reunion? The list goes on.

Of course, with all new advancements in technology, come the 'digital haters'. Should we, as a society, really be doing this? Isn't this wrong? Aren't we taking things a little too far? What's next, a Hologram Steve Jobs running the next Apple press conference? All of these questions will be raised and discussed at great length for weeks to come - and really, when it comes down to it, there is no right answer.

Personally, I'm all for this. Bring it on! What generation wouldn't want the next generation to experience famous artists of their time. This type of technology helps immortalise legends, and in my book, there's nothing wrong with that at all. They used to do it with statues and sculptures back in the day... we've just taken it a million or so steps further.

With that said, what are your thoughts? If you have an opinion on whether this is the right way forward or not, please post your thoughts in the comments section. 

Now, out of 50 points, how did all of you score in my blog?

• 10 Points - You had already watched the video, before reading this blog
• 10 Points - You actually know who Tupac is, and are aware of his greatness
• 10 Points - You know how old Snoop is (40)
• 10 Points - You started to dream up concerts too (which ones?)
• 10 Points - You hope to one day be remembered in hologram format

- Digital Goose