About

Rick Ross Holding a Falcon in the Desert refers to a photo of rapper Rick Ross holding a falcon in the desert, which he posted to his Instagram in late 2022. Many mistakenly thought that Ross was holding an eagle or a hawk. An image macro series used the photo in 2025, mostly using POV style captions in which a girl (often called "fine shyt") does something that gives the subject fulfillment, causing them to reflect on hard times. Ross' photo was used to represent the moment of reflection. The images were shared on Instagram and TikTok as photo slideshows, surfacing en masse in April 2025. The memes were often paired with Ross' verse on the song "Devil in a New Dress" by Kanye West (Ye). As the trend evolved, many creators used AI and Photoshop to edit themselves into the picture.

Origin

On December 5th, 2022, rapper Rick Ross posted a photo to his Instagram^[1] account @richforever, showing himself holding a falcon in the desert. The image was geotagged in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Over three years, the post gained over 543,600 likes (shown below).

The image gained viral reposts in the following months. For instance, on December 19th, 2022, Twitter / X ^[2] user @emmanueljamiir tweeted, "I often have phases where I find oddly specific things hilarious, this month it's been Rick Ross 😭," attaching four pieces of media, including Ross' Dubai photo. The tweet received over 13,000 likes in three years (shown below).

The image was given funny captions on X^[3][4] in 2023 and 2024. However, seemingly none went largely viral.

On March 13th, 2025, TikToker^[5] @flowteez posted an image macro with the Rick Ross photo, adding a caption that riffed on the catchphrase "Typa Shit I Been On." The photo was set to Ross' verse on "Devil in a New Dress" by Kanye West.^[6] In a month, the meme received over 149,800 likes (shown below).

Spread

The abovementioned meme jumpstarted a series of image macros that all used the same TikTok sound^[6] of Rick Ross' verse on "Devil in a New Dress." For instance, on April 18th, 2025, TikToker^[7] @surfyyeezy posted a Slow Fade-In video, in which the image macro read, "I did it. This is my final form. I've become Rick Ross holding an eagle." Over 11 days, the video received over 227,300 likes (shown below).

On April 23rd, TikToker^[8] @ethan.mangat posted an iteration of the meme, adding a caption that read, "When fine shorty start scooching over and you remember when you where hiding in a bush in the top 2," referring to hiding in the game Fortnite. Over six days, the meme received roughly 607,400 likes (shown below).

The memes spread to Instagram soon after. For instance, on April 25th, 2025, Instagram^[11] user @wiggiediego posted a video skit as a Reel, showing himself transforming into Rick Ross in the Desert with the caption, "When you lowkey get shot 9 times so you start accepting death until you remember you haven't unlocked your final form yet (Rick Ross holding hawks)." Over four days, the video received over 143,400 likes (shown below).

On April 25th, TikToker^[9] @abbas_7812 posted an AI-generated image that showed himself in the Rick Ross photo, captioned, "I've reached peak form." Over four days, the meme gained over 111,200 likes (shown below).

Also on April 25th, 2025, TikToker^[10] @angryblondy13 shared a similar AI edit of the Rick Ross photo, showing himself with the caption, "I've reached my final form." Over four days, it gained over 82,500 likes (shown below). It's currently unknown which TikToker shared their AI art first on the day.

Various Examples

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Search Interest

External References