Notorious B.I.G. Hologram Leaves Fans In Disbelief For Looking ‘Too Real’

Video screenshot via Proto

In an uncanny rewind of pop-culture history, a hologram version of Biggie Smalls now stands at the Brooklyn Chop House in his hometown, a decade after “Tupac” materialized in the form of floating images at the 2012 Coachella.

The 3D recreation was produced by Proto (formerly PORTL) to mark what would have been the 50th birthday of the Notorious B.I.G. The startup specializes in something called holoportation, projecting replicas of people—dead or alive—into the same room as their observer, sometimes even communicating through their true counterparts in real-time. These hyperrealistic images are beamed into special boxes, à la portals, and can be viewed from various angles.

Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs happens to be Advisor to Proto, so he likely had a say in this tribute to his late friend.

The hologram, created based on Smalls’ dimensions, was dressed in a green Sergio Tacchini tracksuit, a pair of Versace sunglasses, and black and gray Air Jordan 1s, HotNewHipHop notes.

Fans are a little unnerved by this digital resurrection. It’s certainly surreal to be able to see the late rapper up close and in motion 25 years after his passing, and the hyperrealism of the hologram just makes this even stranger.

“It looks so real,” says one Twitter user. Another writes that he had thought the hologram “was gonna say ‘Baby Babyyyyy.’”

“This makes me sad,” one user on TikTok laments. “I’ve outlived so many folks I looked up to. He should be here.”

Of course, the homage also rehashes the debate about whether long-gone figures should be digitally revived. “Let that man rest in peace,” was a common sentiment shared by viewers.

[via HotNewHipHop and XXL Mag, video and cover image via Proto]