2022 marks what would have been the year Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace turned 50 years old. Biggie’s family and his hometown of New York City announced multiple celebrations honoring the late Hip Hop artist.
Proto Inc. helped memorialize The Notorious B.I.G. with a hologram of the legendary emcee. Biggie’s longtime friend/Bad Boy Entertainment label head Sean “Diddy” Combs is an advisor for the holoportation company.
“Sean Combs has always been an inspiring pioneer in music and business—constantly changing the game with whatever he does,” David Nussbaum, Chief Executive Officer/Founder of Proto, told Black Enterprise.
The Notorious B.I.G. hologram is now on display at the Brooklyn Chop House restaurant in NYC. Previously, Proto “beamed” Diddy from his Los Angeles home into nationwide nightclubs which allowed real-time interactive conversations with his fans.
The use of holograms depicting prominent music figures is not a new concept. Dr. Dre’s iconic set at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival famously featured a holographic version of the late Tupac Shakur.
In 2019, the Whitney Houston Estate announced “An Evening With Whitney Houston” global tour with a hologram of the legendary vocalist. The AXR+EXP concert series presented Migos member Offset as one of the “interactive human holograms” for a virtual concert.
As far as the 50th birthday celebrations for The Notorious B.I.G., New Yorkers and visitors to the city attended a special ceremony at the Empire State Building in May. The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts also hosted an orchestral tribute to Christopher Wallace on June 10.