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The Internets has been abuzz after the conclusion of the Coachella music festival this weekend, which included a hologram performance of west coast rapper Tupac “2Pac” Shakur alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg that shocked revelers in attendance with its lifelike depiction of the late rapper.  MTV News interviewed the creator of the high-tech imagery who says that the veteran producer and Beats By Dre founder/salesman was responsible for bringing the idea to the forefront.

“We worked with Dr. Dre on this and it was Dre’s vision to bring this back to life,” said Nick Smith, of AV Concepts. “It was his idea from the very beginning and we worked with him and his camp to utilize the technology to make it come to life.” Based in San Diego, Smith’s AV Concepts company created the striking image of 2Pac rapping from beyond. Smith was mum on the creative process behind the image but did say that his company has the ability to recreate this manner of digital performance art with subject they want.

AV Concepts aren’t new to this. They assisted a 2005 Grammys performance where Madonna was backed up by holographic members of the Gorillaz and worked with the Black Eyed Peas previously as well. Dre and company no doubt doled out major cash to pull of the performance, but the creator kept tight-lipped about the costs only giving a ballpark six-figure range.

“I can’t say how much that event cost, but I can say it’s affordable in the sense that if we had to bring entertainers around world and create concerts across the country, we could put [artists] in every venue in the country,” Smith told MTV News.

Meek Mills’ “Tupac Back” has a different ring altogether to it now, doesn’t it?

 

Photo: Getty Images