If you haven’t seen it yet, here is the famous video of the live Coachella performance by Tupac. This performance has captivated the hip hop community for a few reasons, namely the realism in which the hologram emulates the legend.

The hologram looked EXACTLY like the late Tupac Shakur as it unleashed a blistering rendition of “Hail Mary” and collaborated with a more tangible Snoop Dogg for “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” The Tupac re-creation was minutely detailed down to every muscle, bead of sweat, and swing of his chain. It even showed mobility through using stage space, stepping stage left to address fans during his costar’s verse.

Now any follower of hip hop culture will be able to note that collaboration between living artists and the deceased isn’t a new concept. No less than six studio albums have been released under Tupac’s name since the artist’s untimely death in 1996, many of the tracks being remixes with contemporary recording artists. Tupac’s East Coast stylized counterpart, Biggie Smalls, had at least three posthumous albums released; including the controversial Duets: The Final Chapter, where only half of the recording artists included in the project had even met Christopher Wallace.
This tech is simply amazing, and that is why people are so interested. A produced album made from some tracks left in the studio is one thing, but to see actually see an artificial recreation of a deceased artist, especially an artist as influential and loved as Tupac, was truly mesmerizing.

With rumors of the hologram going on tour with Dre and Snoop a precedent has been set. Performers like the late Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston are sure to follow. And you know Las Vegas casinos are chomping at the bit at the idea of the ultimate Elvis impersonator, or even a full Rat Pack reunion.
This tech is ground breaking, and will be an unforgettable moment in the history of hip hop culture.

#KillZone @KushBoysMD @DreadOlHead @LuckyLamar @KushBoysWorld #Ebitda #KCLA #KushCouture

Yes, once again our favorite Australian “Road Warrior” is starring in an action film.  It’s called “GET THE GRINGO” and it’s due for release this Summer. 

“Get the Gringo” is a tale about a career criminal (Gibson) who is nabbed by Mexican authorities and placed in a tough “south of the border” prison where he learns to survive with the help of a clever little 9-year-old boy.  It’s an action-packed thriller and definitely worth the price of admission.  So what’s the scoop?

Well, after rounding out a two-week production road trip, Gordo and Flaco (www.gordoandflaco.com) got a call from our favorite producer over at ARENAS GROUP in Burbank, CA (www.arenasgroup.com) and immediately got hired to cut together a music video for one of the songs from the movie soundtrack called, “Corrido Del Gringo”.  After only two days of cutting away, we finally got a great video finished and ready for air.  The video is intended to spread the film announcement to the latin home audience via broadcast outlets including Telemundo, Univision and Azteca America.

Big thanks to Katherine and crew over at Arenas Group.  You guys rock! 

- Editor Chris “Gordo” Cronin (pictured)

How could this be?  Oh, it’s got HEMP inside!

NICE!!!

Recently the Gordo and Flaco team headed to Ojai, CA to visit with our resident food magician.  Guess what’s been brewing up at the organic farm?  That’s right.  Now your favorite frozen treat may just cure cancer!  Okay, I’ve heard of Probiotics showing up in more and more foods, but this stuff really takes the cake! 

The magic is found in the mix of healthy ingredients.  First off, organic, non-dairy flax milk is handmade(and it’s THE BOMB!  Creamier than half-n-half I swear it!).  Then their proprietary “JUNGLESWEET” low-glycemic sweetener is added followed by various organic flavors.  The result is an ice cream containing 2600mg of Omega 3 per serving with 3 billion+ live probiotics.  Wow! 

INGREDIENTS: Organic (OG) Flax-milk (Structured Filtered Water, OG Flax Oil, OG Brown Rice Syrup Solids, OG Brown Rice Syrup), OG Coconut Cream, OG Junglesweet™ (OG Xylitol , OG Coconut Sugar, OG Stevia), OG Coconut Oil, OG Lecithin, OG Tapioca Starch, OG Rice Bran, OG Vanilla, OG Lucuma, OG Cold-Pressed Olive Oil, OG Honey, OG Irish Moss, OG Nopal Cactus, OG Maca, OG Royal Jelly, OG Supergreen Blend (Spirulina, Chlorella, Nettle Leaf, Barley Grass) OG Hemp Oil, OG Pecan, OG Date, [UAS Lab DDS Probiotic Blend]: Lactobacillus Acidophilus DDS-1, Bifidobacterium Longun, Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Bifidobacterium Lactis, OG Inulin

The skeptical me found myself not only liking the taste but LOVING IT!  Man, it really makes you think about how much ice cream, milk and sugar you’ve consumed when you could’ve been eating something much healthier that TASTES BETTER!  Really?  YES!  To find out for yourself hit up info@gordoandflaco.com and we’ll fill you in.  To check out more about this superfood, you can visit the SuperNaturalNutrition website at www.supernaturalnutrition.co

A few years ago, British engineering firm Atkins won the rights to design an extravagant hotel deep within a 100-metre pit in Shanghai‘s Songjiang District.

Construction on the Intercontinental Shimao Shanghai Wonderland finally commenced last month, and the hotel is scheduled to open in early 2015.

The 19-story structure will be grafted onto the side of the 100-meter pit, with 16 floors burrowing down towards the deep quarry floor.

It will hold about 380 rooms which are expected to start at about $320 per night. The building will also feature an underwater restaurant.

A massive 60-meter tall glass curtain wall adjacent to the main structure will descend down the rockface in a manner that will “mimic a waterfall”, while the surrounding cliffs will be given over to bungee jumping and rockclimbing.

Chronic Ice is picking up steam as the United States’ first and original hemp tea product! Made from a blend of all natural green and black teas, and infused with hemp seed, Chronic Ice is as tasty as it is healthy!

The human body needs a certain amount of essential fatty acids (EFAs) to run smoothly, but these acids cannot be produced within the body. Because of this, the body must receive these EFAs through dietary means. Normally, people tend to get these acids through eating fish, or taking fish oil supplements. But fish aren’t necessarily safe to consume due to bacteria, and how can a vegetarian or vegan get their required EFAs?

One of the little known facts about hemp, hemp seed contains linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids, both of which are EFAs that contribute to healthy metabolism and circulation. Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are present in hemp seed in the perfect three-to-one ratio, the optimum ratio to meet a human’s nutritional needs. It's one of the many hemp health benefits.

Infusing all natural tea with hemp seed oil is what makes Chronic Ice the healthiest alternative to syrupy sodas or artificially sweetened “tea drinks.” The benefits of green and black teas as an antioxidant and natural cardiovascular supporter have long been proven, and the Chronic Ice formula includes only organic, natural teas. Add natural cane sugar to sweeten, and you have an all natural tea that provides taste and essential nutrition fit for any dietary choice.

Try Chronic Ice itself or mixed into your favorite cocktail today!

Tokujin Yoshioka has designed “Lake of Shimmer” – Avant Time Nº3 for Swarovski. The bracelet of this watch is adorned with small hexagonal stainless steel that reflects the light beautifully. It is expected to be released in September, 2012.

Consisting of a single 12 faceted crystal, the watch was inspired by the facade of the stand Yoshioka designed for Swarovski in 2009 for Baselworld (below).

The mirrored face appears as if it is reflecting the sun off the surface of a lake, emitting a strong brilliance and luminosity to the wearer.

Fisker Automotive has unveiled its new plug-in vehicle at the New York International Auto Show, as it struggles to recover from setbacks with its Karma sedan.

The brand unveiled a prototype of the new Fisker Atlantic plug-in hybrid at the press preview of the New York show, promising that it would be less expensive and more fuel efficient than the $103,000 Karma.

The four-door model is aimed at young families and will feature a similar powertrain type to the Karma and Chevrolet Volt, with a gasoline engine which kicks in to generate electricity when the vehicle’s on-board batteries run low.

The design of the prototype is similarly extreme as the Karma sedan, with a glass roof, long-wheelbase and a large grille at the front, with dimensions comparable to that of the Audi A5.

Tom LaSorda, Fisker’s CEO, said that the Atlantic was part of a process that would see Fisker “transitioning from a start-up automaker to a fully-fledged mainstream car manufacturer.”

Production of the Atlantic is expected to begin at the end of the summer, LaSorda told reporters in New York, with pricing unconfirmed.

We wish everyone a great Easter. We're dedicating this holiday weekend to our friend, partner, brother, son & uncle, Andrew Todd, who passed away much too early. He was a brilliant writer, an effulgent muse, a sophisticated wordsmith, a punctilious truth-sayer with a comedic acumen. He could slap you with his sweet sarcastic words that would leave a mental lifetime scar---and you'd be one of the lucky ones. There's not enough words in the English dictionary to describe this chimerical soul. All I can say is we love you bro!!!

Nice packaging in this “Smokable Song Book” for Snoop Dogg’s new rolling papers. Each page can obviously be rolled.

These days it’s clear that the world of business development is changing.  More than ever, flexibility and vast areas of knowledge are key.  Back in the day, it was good to specialize in one field or another.  But in today’s rapidly growing world of information and digital tools, you need to be able to cover many areas of business and several skill sets just to compete.  A film editor needs to be an animator and an animator needs to be a video mapping expert.  A marketing guru needs to know the Adobe software, a retail expert needs to understand e-commerce.  So where do you turn to make your new project a reality?

Jesse “Flaco” Talamantez and his partner Chris “Gordo” Cronin say they have an answer.  They recently launched Gordo and Flaco, Ltd. (www.gordoandflaco.com) a “business consultancy utilizing digital media, production, and live event branding.”  Jesse T. lays it out, “We make concepts concrete.  Chris and I not only develop new business from the ground up, but then we add clever advertising, viral videos and live event exposure to the mix.  In other words, we aren’t just your business development consultants, but also your initial operations managers and your marketing gurus.  By standing at the “hub” we have the oversight that can maximize the branding potential and growth of the new business development we’re launching.”

To see more about how these two have created a unique mix of business development, content production and marketing, visit them at the website linked above.