We've seen iconic musicians like Whitney Houston, Tupac, Michael Jackson, Patsy Cline and Billie Holiday return to the stage as holograms, and now it's hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G.'s turn.
Faith Evans, who is Biggie's widow, is currently working on an posthumous duet album with her late husband, who died in 1997, called "The King and I," and she recently revealed that she is developing his hologram for possible use during live performances and music videos.
"We actually are in development with a hologram, but I don't necessarily know to what extent I'm gonna perform with it," the 42-year-old R&B singer said. "But I want to debut it in the first video for the album, and maybe use it a little bit performing live."
Hologram USA, the company behind the holograms of Tupac, Houston and Cline, has confirmed that Biggie's hologram is a possibility, although there weren't many details to spare.
"Hologram USA has been in talks with representatives of Biggie Smalls," a spokespeson said. "But we're unable to announce plans at this time."
Rapper Tupac's hologram was the first to launch in the U.S. during Coachella in 2012, and it was a huge hit. His image performed with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg during the music festival thanks to impressive technology and several months of planning.
"This is not found footage. This is not archival footage. This is an illusion," chief creative officer of Digital Domain explained at the time. "This is just the beginning. Dre has a massive vision for this."
Just a few months ago, it was announced that Houston would also be coming back in hologram form at some point during 2016 to perform a selection of her greatest hits, like "I Will Always Love You" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
"It's a great opportunity for her fans to see a reinvention of one of the most celebrated female artists in history and continue a legacy of performances that will not be forgotten in years to come," said Pat Houston, who is Whitney's sister-in-law as well as the head of her estate. "I look forward to the partnership."
"The opportunity to share her spectacular gifts with the world again is exactly what I hoped for when I built the hologram business," said Alki David, CEO of Hologram USA. "We've got technology that's causing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry and a wonderful partnership with Pat Houston and the estate. I'm confident we'll create the ultimate celebration of Whitney's amazing artistry."
