Happy 10th anniversary to Rock the Bells, who have announced their initial, rotating 2013 lineup featuring hosts Peter Rosenberg & MURS 3:16, as well as names like Bone Thugs N Harmony, Danny Brown, Black Hippy (who just played NYC), Common, E40 & Too Short, Earl Sweatshirt (ditto), Flatbush Zombies, Juicy J (who played a Fader show on Monday and Irving Plaza last night), Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan (who play Summer Jam soon), Tyler the Creator (who just announced an NYC show as part of Odd Future), Eazy E, Ol Dirty Bastard and more. Confused? Yes, I did just say Eazy E and Ol Dirty Bastard, both of which will be "virtual performances" as part of the travelling festival. AllHipHop reports:

Ol Dirty Bastard and Eazy-E's spirits will return to the stage at Rock The Bells this year, AllHipHop has learned.

The pair of Hip-Hop legends will have holograms performing this year at the 10-year anniversary of the rap festival.

Eazy-E will perform virtually with Bone Thugs-In-Harmony and ODB will rock with Wu Tang. Organizers said Eazy never blessed the Rock The Bells stage and ODB only did once.

Also, the "holograms" are approved by Eazy-E's wife Tomica Wright and Ol Dirty's mother, Cherry Jones.

Tupac's Coachella appearance inspired the new virtual performances at Rock The Bells, organizers admitted.

So far only four dates exist for Rock the Bells. They're all listed below. Two of them are on the East Coast and one is in the NYC area at Meadowlands Racetrack in Rutherford, NJ on October 4-5. Tickets go on presale Thursday (10/16) at noon, and regular sale on Saturday.

Initial lineup (at least 15 more artists TBA), dates and some video below.

Continue reading "Rock the Bells 2013 initial lineup (Wu-Tang, Earl Sweatshirt, Juicy J, Tyler the Creator... + hologram ODB & Eazy E)"

this is the picture people are saying is hologram Biggie (via highacez)

Despite what is quickly spreading FAST across the internet, thanks in part to some tweets by Russell Simmons (that lead to a page on his site GlobalGrind that say it was a hologram), it does not appear that there was an actual hologram of Biggie tonight. Just some high tech video.

Hologram Tupac is still the only hologram until we hear otherwise (the show is still underway as we type this) UPDATE: show over. No hologram. Check out the setlist.

The real Big Daddy Kane, however, in the flesh, was a guest at the show

Stay tuned for more later, though you can hear Jay perform a new (Nets themed?) verse, before 99 Problems, at the show, below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z brings out hologram Biggie Smalls @ Barclays Center?"

photos by David Andrako

"The biggest difference between Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's headlining set tonight and last Sunday was that everyone knew about the Tupac Shakur hologram [or is it?] and had their smartphones and cameras ready to capture the hologram for "Hail Mary" and "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted."

Beyond that, the hip-hop legends delivered a parade of hip-hop stars again, including Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar and Tony Yayo.
Kurupt didn't make the trip this week, though.

That being said, while the set list was just like last week, it still delivered in an epic way and was a fitting end to the most epic Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival yet, one that saw the ever-popular taste-making pop culture event expand to two weekends with identical lineups." [PE]

Dre & Snoop once again closed down as weekend of Coachella 2012 last night (4/22), but this time for good. It also may be the last time we ever see hologram Tupac, according to Dre (though he doesn't seem that convincing). Watch him talk about it along with more pictures from (the first three songs of) their Sunday night festival set, below...

Continue reading "Dre & Snoop played Coachella with hologram Tupac again (possibly for the last time though) -- pics"

"The "resurrection" of rapper Tupac Shakur wowed audiences at the Coachella music festival. But the illusion isn't a hologram, as some have reported -- it's actually a 2-dimensional video cleverly projected using technology based on an old theatre trick." [Roxanne Palmer @ IBTimes]

Not-hologram Tupac performed with Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre at Coachella over the weekend (and presumably will again at Coachella this coming weekend). Watch the video HERE.

And check out more pictures from Coachella HERE, HERE and HERE.

Continue reading "Hologram Tupac is not a hologram"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Snoop smokes a spliff @ Coachella

You saw the setlist and a few pictures from throughout the Sunday night Coachella headlining set by Snoop Dogg, Dre & friends. Here are more pictures (of the first three songs from the photo pit), and a video of the whole hologram Tupac segment. Watch that and a couple of other clips from the show (Eminem included), with the pics, below...

Continue reading "watch hologram Tupac play with Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre @ Coachella (video & more pics)"

Dre & Snoop @ Coachella - Sunday, 4/15/2012

Coachella is over. The Sunday headliner setlist, and a few more pictures (all first seen on the BrooklynVegan Instagram) (more pictures coming later HERE), beow...

Continue reading "Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg @ Coachella setlist & pics (hologram Tupac, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar & more included)"