The “Eye of Rah” meme on TikTok is a viral sensation that emerged in late 2024 and took off in early 2025. It is centered around a photoshopped image of TikToker Rashad Bowens, a creator known for his distinctive red dreadlocks. In this meme, Bowens is humorously transformed into a cyclopean figure with a single eye in the middle of his forehead and one of his red dreads standing straight up, making him look like he has a flaming hairdo. This absurd yet visually striking portrayal has sparked much laughter and creativity across the platform.
The origins of the meme trace back to TikTok user Jeremiah Springfield, who first created it in November 2024. Springfield edited a video of Bowens reacting to a cooking video and added surreal, almost mythical elements to the scene. The result was the “Eye of Rah” meme, which quickly spread as a piece of “brain rot” content, a term used on TikTok for humorous but nonsensical or absurd edits.
The name “Eye of Rah” itself is a clever play on words. It references the “Eye of Ra,” an ancient Egyptian symbol associated with the powerful sun god Ra. This humorous twist adds an extra layer of irony, as Bowens, a TikTok personality, is now portrayed as a semi-mythical figure in the meme, making it even more entertaining for viewers familiar with the cultural reference. The comedic fusion of Egyptian mythology and TikTok humor is part of what made the meme so intriguing and shareable.
By early January 2025, the meme had fully entered TikTok’s viral cycle. It started to merge with other popular meme trends of the moment, including the “I Bought a Property in Egypt” meme and the “Chopped Chin” meme, creating a whirlwind of comedic content. These meme combinations contributed to a larger TikTok subculture known as “Hood Irony,” where memes take on a life of their own, often relying on bizarre edits, randomness, and nonsensical humor.
The “Eye of Rah” meme, in particular, gained significant traction because of how it humorously transformed Bowens into a surreal, god-like figure using creative video effects often applied through CapCut, a popular video editing tool. The outlandish nature of the meme and its ties to Hood Irony helped it gain popularity among TikTok users who appreciate content that pushes the boundaries of absurdity.
At its core, the “Eye of Rah” meme embodies the spontaneous and ever-evolving nature of TikTok meme culture. It blends humor, surreal imagery, and obscure cultural references, creating a lighthearted escape for viewers. The meme’s viral success can be attributed to its uniqueness, the humorous visuals of Bowens’ transformation, and the clever blend of real-world mythological references with modern internet culture. Like many TikTok trends, it capitalizes on the app’s love for rapid, creative remixing and reinvention of content, solidifying its place as a memorable moment in the early months of 2025’s meme landscape.