“Tupac back! Yes Tupac back!” Last night (April 15) in Indio, California, the deceased, cultural icon Tupac Shakur made for a Death Row reunion by joining Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Coachella headlining set in the form of a lifelike hologram.
“What up Dre?” the hologram asked and was answered with a “I’m chillin, what’s up Pac?” by the Good Doctor. “What up Snoop?” the hologram continued greeting. “What’s up my nigga?” the Dogg answered. Finally, the hologram Pac addressed the crowd, “what up Coachella?” A question that was received with shouts and screams from the crowd.
In one of hip-hop’s truly unforgettable moments, The hologram Pac began performing the classic “Hail Mary.” With an air of disbelief mixed with euphoria, Snoop and Pac followed with a performance of “2 of America’s Most Wanted.” Eerily, the hologram looked towards Snoop during certain lines and even did a bit of Crip walk towards the end of the song.
It felt like a pure duet. And just like that, Pac put two fingers in the air after the performance and disappeared into the night. Snoop and Dre’s guest star power didn’t stop there. Dre’s latest signee, Kendrick Lamar, came out for his Doc-featured “The Recipe.”
Snoop Dogg brought out Wiz Khalifa for “Young, Wild and Free” and later Snoop joined surprise act 50 Cent for the “P.I.M.P.” remix. Minutes prior to that, Fif and Yayo commenced their stage takeover with “What Up Gangsta” and ‘In Da Club.” Eminem arrived with a black hood and shorts attire for a high-octane rendition of ‘Forgot about Dre” alongside his mentor. As Em tried to exit the stage, Dre told his friend he had to perform at least one more record.
Slim Shady obliged with “Till I Collapse,” which turned into a mini tribute for Nate Dogg who sings on the record. “Yeah, you know what the f*ck this is,” the shirt-less hologram said after rising to the stage, wearing jeans and construction boots. The realistic visual even had all the same tattoos of the late great Shakur down to the “Thug Life” across the stomach.
