Billboard has released “5 Other Awesome Holograms: Tupac, Janelle Monae and M.I.A., More.”
“Michael Jackson may have invented the moonwalk, and he certainly inaugurated his signature strut as a hologram — and the MJ hologram was certainly the talk of the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, but the King of Pop was not the first artist to perform 2D on a 3D stage,” Billboard says of its list. “From Tupac’s 2012 Coachella resurrection to M.I.A. and Janelle Monae’s bicoastal duet last month, here’s five other awesome holograms that preceded Jackson’s return to (virtual) form.”
M.I.A. and Janelle Monae are #5 on the list, Elvis Presley and Celine Dion are #4. Ol’ Dirty Bastard takes the #3 spot.
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“Wu-Tang is for the children, but magic tricks are for everyone,” the site says. “‘If you say it loud enough, he might appear,’ RZA told the crowd at last year’s Rock the Bells, and after enough chants of ‘Ol’ Dirty Bastard!’ and a blinding flash of white light, Dirty appeared. On the 10th anniversary of the festival and the almost-same milestone of his death, ODB’s profile — created from audio and visual composites of his son — rapped ‘Shame On a Nigga’ exactly as he would if he were alive; except he’s definitely not, as he reminds the audience. ‘I’m usually looking down on you, but now I’m looking at you,’ he points out before launching into ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya.'”
Tupac Hologram Featured In Billboard List
Tupac was #2 on the list behind Michael Jackson at #1.
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“Effectively Ground Zero for hologram mania, Tupac’s appearance at 2012’s Coachella with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre blew minds as much as it puzzled people, raising questions about the appropriateness of posthumous performances,” Billboard says. “‘The crowd had no idea what to do with the hologram,’ Billboard’s Jason Lipshutz wrote. ‘There were a lot more uneasy looks than blissfully excited super-fans.’ Still, enough people loved his true-to-life rendition of ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted’ (not to mention his immaculate CGI abs) that Pac’s virtual touchdown set the stage for holographic projections to come.”
