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The end of Coachella: Weekend 1 was brought down on Sunday at Indio’s Empire Polo Field by a performance by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and... Tupac Shakur. Well, a realistic 3D hologram of Tupac, that is. He had a colorful greeting for the crowd, walking around shirtless in Timbalands, his image projected from circa 1995, shortly before his passing at the young age of 25. Can we just take a moment to think about how wild this is? Wild.

 

The performance went from 10:35pm until Midnight, starting off with “The Next Episode” and continued hitting classics all the way through. Shakur came out with “Hail Mary” and also teamed up on “Come with Me”, “Gangtsa Party”, and the 1996 Death Row hit “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”. 

 

2Pac wasn’t the only special guest, however; also joining the stage during the performance were 50 Cent and Eminem on a variety of songs, Tony Yayo, Warren G, Kurupt, Wiz Khalifa for “Young Wild and Free”, and Kendrick Lamar for “The Recipe”, which is his new track produced by Dre. The pre-concert rumors were false that the late Nate Dogg was going to make a hologram appearance too, but he was still rightly honored. (Maybe Weekend Number Two? Is Tupac coming back? I need tickets.)

 

Check out some video footage of the event below (slightly NSFW):

 

 

 

Dre and Snoop, the innovators of '90s gangsta rap, were one of the top headlining acts, which shows massive lasting power in an ever-shifting music climate and an evolving rap scene. At the launch, their music was remarkably different than the East Coast style of rap, more laid back, if you will, than traditionally aggressive. They somehow built a new niche style while remaining relevant to the public, and they’ve stuck with it.   

 

It’s particularly interesting to see a revival of Tupac via hologram since he is one of a few performers whose death has sparked endless disbelief in certain fans. (Can we get an Elvis hologram next year?) It’s safe to say that, in this case, Tupac lives. 

 

 

- Kate Ferguson, YH Staff