Getty Images for Coachella
When Tupac Shakur was killed 15 years ago, the hip-hop community mourned the loss of a visionary knowing that he'd never touch another mic or rock another stage. On Sunday night (April 15) at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival in Indio, Calif., 'Pac was resurrected, performing alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, his former labelmates. The hologram took on the exact form of the rapper, down to his muscle definition, vocal inflection and baggy denims.
The crowd screamed their approval, but when the Tupac hologram shouted, "What the fuck is up Coachella?" the roar intensified, making the line between spooky fantasy and reality even more blurred. Even those who weren't in attendance at the festival were taken aback by the moment. From design experts to editors at entertainment magazines, the experience was memorable when simply watching from a computer screen.
"I did not see phantom 'Pac in-person, but the YouTube video alone gave me chills," Vibe magazine music editor John Kennedy tells The BoomBox. "There he is, Tupac Shakur. Throwing up dubs. Flipping birds. Crotch-thrusting. And then, poof -- he's ghost. After grasping random things in my apartment -- the coffee table, couch, myself -- to ensure they were real, the awesomeness of Tupac's 'Pepper's Ghost' hit me. Wow. This is incredible."
Last year, when Meek Mill boasted of Tupac's return on his Rick Ross-assisted hit "Tupac Back," no one could have imagined it actually happening, much less onstage in the middle of the California desert. "Why'd Tupac decide to make a public appearance at the Coachella Festival?" Dallas Penn of the Combat Jack Show quips. "Hip-hop
