They don’t call him the Doctor for nothing. Who else can command such high caliber guests as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa and… Tupac Shakur?
That’s right, Dr. Dre’s Sunday night Coachella closer was a monster of a set that featured many of hip-hop’s greatest hits and its biggest stars, one of whom died more than 15 years ago. Tupac arrived via hologram, seamlessly — and amazingly — joining Snoop on “Hail Mary” and “Gangsta Party.” The late rapper was one of more than a handful of hip-hop luminaries that whipped the crowd into a frenzy from kick-off at 10:35 p.m. to just before midnight. Snoop and Dre were billed from the get-go, and Eminem was expected but throughout the 90-minute set, the names kept on coming. From Tony Yayo to Warren G and Kurupt to 50 Cent, who delivered his hit “Birthday.” He followed Wiz Khalifa, who arrived to light up the stage — and a massive joint — with Snoop on their radio smash, “Young, Wild & Free,” while Eminem helped out with “Forgot About Dre,” “I Need a Doctor” and his own “Till I Collapse.” But the highlight, besides the dozen-plus mentions of marijuana (it’s California, after all), was the spirit of Shakur, who greeted the crowd with a “what up, Coachella!” Bare-chested, buff and rocking what looked like a pair of acid-washed jeans circa 1995, the hologram set Twitter on fire, as hundreds of Coachella attendees along with many thousands more watching a live feed on YouTube, tweeted in awe and disbelief.