Meta’s Notorious B.I.G. VR Concert to Feature ‘Hyperrealistic’ Avatar of Late Rapper - Variety

The Notorious B.I.G., 25 years aft his death, volition beryllium resurrected arsenic a “true-to-life, hyperrealistic” avatar successful a virtual-reality performance coming exclusively to Meta’s VR and Facebook platforms.

Produced successful collaboration with the Notorious B.I.G. Estate, the performance volition diagnostic Biggie’s avatar performing classics from his catalog and starring fans connected a VR acquisition successful Meta Horizon Worlds successful a virtual recreation of ’90s Brooklyn called “The Brook.” The Notorious B.I.G., whose existent sanction was Christopher Wallace, was murdered successful 1997 astatine the property of 24.

Meta’s VR performance is billed arsenic a solemnisation of Biggie’s 50th day year. “The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience” volition premiere Dec. 16 exclusively successful the Venues conception of Meta Horizon Worlds (and successful Meta Quest TV) accessible with a Meta Quest 2 oregon Meta Quest Pro virtual-reality headset. If you don’t person a Quest VR device, you tin ticker the 2D mentation of the performance connected the official Notorious B.I.G. Facebook page.

Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mother, said successful a statement, “Having the quality to make a variance of caller accidental to showcase my lad Christopher’s euphony done the advancement of exertion is hard for maine to grasp astatine times. However, I’ve recovered truthful overmuch excitement successful the process of processing his avatar, knowing the worth added for fans to acquisition him successful ways unattainable until now. Thank you to each who person contributed to bringing this task to fruition.”

In the VR experience, audiences volition travel a time successful Biggie’s beingness done a communicative travel written and voiced by writer and euphony writer Touré. The performance besides volition diagnostic impermanent performances by Sean “Diddy” Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick and Lil’ Cease, arsenic good arsenic a peculiar acceptable from DJ Clark Kent.

Mark Pitts, Biggie’s manager and president of RCA Records, said, “It’s astonishing to make caller contented for B.I.G. The satellite was robbed of an accidental to ticker Biggie turn and germinate arsenic an artist. The wonderment of Web3 is that it gives america an accidental to observe his euphony with visuals that Biggie ne'er got to make.”

For Meta, it’s the latest VR amusement concern by the net elephantine to effort to recognize CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s imaginativeness of the “metaverse” arsenic the purported successor to today’s societal networks. Other caller Meta-funded projects person included “Eli Roth’s Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat,” starring Vanessa Hudgens, and a VR acquisition successful Horizon Worlds based connected Jordan Peele’s “Nope.”

The performance is being produced by Gunpowder & Sky, whose CEO Van Toffler formed the accumulation institution aft astir 3 decades astatine MTV. Elliot Osagie, laminitis of Willingie, spearheaded the exertion improvement of Biggie’s avatar with VFX manager Remington Scott, CEO of Hyperreal. They besides received the enactment of WME, which represents the Notorious B.I.G. Estate, for the project.

“Biggie’s euphony has been streamed implicit 11 cardinal times worldwide and 6.5 cardinal successful the U.S. alone, but due to the fact that of his untimely decease determination conscionable wasn’t capable contented to enactment the overwhelming request for his music,” Osagie said. “This is wherefore I originated the thought and came up with the determination to make a integer avatar.”

Toffler commented, “Biggie’s untimely death, akin to that of Kurt Cobain and Tupac, was a seminal infinitesimal successful my anterior gig astatine MTV. So, having the accidental to beryllium portion of his rebirth successful the virtual satellite — coupling the latest avatar and motion-capture technologies with the champion euphony and storytelling — is simply a imagination travel to life. Biggie’s interaction connected euphony and civilization volition ne'er person an expiration date.”

Watch the teaser for Meta’s Notorious B.I.G. VR concert: