Justin Timberlake’s tribute to Minnesota’s own Prince at Super Bowl LII was met with a mix of celebration and condemnation Sunday night after it was reported that a hologram version of the late music icon would not be part of the half-time show. Instead of employing the controversial hologram technology, Timberlake’s performance featured a large projection of the singer using footage from the film Purple Rain. Prince’s half-brother Omarr Baker, who previously tweeted that the family had denied approval of the hologram, responded to the half-time show on Twitter with the definition of the word “hologram” followed by a thumbs-up sign for Timberlake. In a 1998 interview, Prince called the idea of playing with a hologram of another artist, “the most demonic thing imaginable,” adding, “To prevent that kind of thing from happening is another reason why I want artistic control.”
