Meta announces posthumous Notorious B.I.G. concert in Horizon Worlds

It's a celebration for what would have been his 50th birthday.
By Elena Cavender  on 
Two artists pose together on a red carpet.
Notorious B.I.G. in 1997 with Sean “Diddy” Combs, who's on the bill for the upcoming Meta concert. Credit: Erik Pendzich / Shutterstock

Meta is hosting a posthumous Notorious B.I.G. concert. Yes, you read that correctly.

Meta is celebrating what would be Biggie's 50th birthday with a virtual reality concert where Biggie's "hyper-realistic" avatar will perform Biggie classics. The event is a partnership between Willingie, Gunpowder & Sky, and The Notorious B.I.G. Estate and will take place on Dec. 16 in Horizon Worlds.

Prior to the concert, there will be a virtual recreation of a day in Biggie's life in Brooklyn. It will feature narration from American writer and music journalist Touré. The concert will also feature performances from Sean “Diddy” Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick, and Lil’ Cease.

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A graphic that reads, 'The Notorious B.I.G. Sky's The Limit' with Biggie's side profile.
Credit: Meta

This is not the first time technology has enabled fans to experience their favorite artists after their death. Notably, a hologram of the late Elvis Presley sang with Celine Dion on American Idol and a hologram of Tupac performed with Snoop Dogg at Coachella in 2012. As virtual reality technology advances, so does the opportunity for events like Biggie's concert that would be impossible in the real world.

The concert also comes at a time when metaverse concerts are gaining mainstream attention. This year MTV introduced the "Best Metaverse Performance" category which BLACKPINK won for their "pretty savage" concert in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUGB) Mobile.

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Elena Cavender

Elena is a tech reporter and the resident Gen Z expert at Mashable. She covers TikTok and digital trends. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American History. Email her at [email protected] or follow her @ecaviar_.


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