TikTok and other meme platforms are obsessed with these photos of Shannon Sharpe in a suit. Many know him as a professional football player or the guy talking about sports on their TV, however, others simply know him as "the Black guy in a suit" in the "I be poppin' bottles" meme.

This meme format is now over a year old and it's only gotten more viral in the past few months. TikTokers have started using CapCut and other editing platforms to recreate the original and hilarious photo slideshow of Sharpe's "fit pics."

Have you been seeing this meme everywhere? Many have, and luckily, we've got the info on the origin, its spread and the many ways it's been remixed. Let's explain.

What Is The 'I Be Poppin' Bottles' Meme?

The meme in question involves four photos of ex-NFL player and sports commentator Shannon Sharpe. It's primarily a video format in which each image segways into the next via a stylized slideshow. The slideshow is then set to the song "Tired" by CJ SO COOL, which was originally released in 2018.

The meme first surfaced in March 2022 on TikTok, when a TikToker named @sasoomiii posted a now-famous video. It had a text caption about math teachers, imagining that they were the emotion Sharpe was embodying. Thereafter, the meme format followed the simple premise of Sharpe representing a person, object or concept that shows up somewhere composed and proud after doing something shameful or embarrassing.

@sasoomiii calculate the distance between ur mouth and my 🐔 #school #math #fyp ♬ Tired – CJ SO COOL

Where Did The 'Shannon Sharpe In A Suit' Photos Come From?

The photos of Sharpe wearing suits that are used in the meme format were all posted to Shannon Sharpe's personal Twitter account in 2017. The nifty meme creator then nabbed the photos to make their video, spawning a trend that has continued into this year.

Why Is 'I Be Poppin' Bottles' Viral On TikTok?

Although the trend started in 2022, it wasn't until early 2023 that mainstream interest wanted more iterations of the meme. This mostly started when more elaborate slideshows depicting Sharpe's outfits surfaced on the platform. Then, video creators started posting TikToks in which they recreated Sharpe's outfits and poses, additionally editing their videos to match the original.

@enjxas 🍾✨ #ibepoppinbottles #sparklesandchampange #shannonsharpe #shannonsharpememe #shanonsharpeedit #edit #transition #template #templat #templatetrend #capcutemplate #cctemplate #fyp #trend #templatecapcut #explorepage #foryoupage #xyzbca #cc #tired #CapCut ♬ original sound – jel ★ – ej ✭

@geekysh I-I-I be poopin bottles #CapCut #fyp #ibepoppinbottles ♬

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For the full history of "I be poppin' bottles," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for even more information.