Tell us your name and what you do?

“My name is Damani Falconer. I am a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur. My preferred mediums are film/videography, photography, graphic design, and music production.”

How did you get started with being an artist?

“I've been into art my whole life. When I was younger, I lived in Brooklyn, and before I played sports, my mom always put me into art programs at the Brooklyn Museum. That's where I gained my first appreciation for art. Fast forward to my teen years, I became an athlete with hopes to play football at the collegiate level, but things didn't work out. At that point, I called back on my original roots of art. That's where I picked up my dad's camcorder and started shooting everything.”

How much did music play a role in helping you become the artist you are today?

“Music is honestly one of the pillars of my creativity, I believe. I've literally said before I can't imagine living without music. It's literally another language and vibration you can tap into. Early on, before I started creative projects, I would create a playlist that put me in the mood of what I wanted to create. I still do this from time to time.”

Tell us how you started Sober Society Goods and the story behind that?

“Sober Society Goods is a brand I started with my cousin Wes. We always had a love for fashion and dressing up. We were dressing ourselves since the 3rd grade, honestly. It was always a dream to start our own brand. Going back to that football story, once I stopped sports, I had time to attack my other passions, and Sober was a product of that.”

Do you feel like school holds you back from focusing on Sober Society and other passions, or does it motivate you?

“I love this question because it's so real. At times, I feel the pressure of school get to me and creatively I have to take a pause on my projects and Sober. But that's just life. Life is about balance and finding out what works for you. I know school is going to pay off because I made the investment into myself and believe in my ability. But to answer the question directly, yes, it does at times, but you have to keep a positive outlook and find a way to make school work with the brand and all the other motion.”

Luh Tyler was seen rocking one of your shirts, can you tell us the story on how you were able to make that happen?

“Lmao! Yes, sir, that was pretty cool. We just really love Luh Tyler's music, and I've been following his program for a little while. Sober is all about representation and promoting young people following their dreams no matter the circumstances. We felt that Luh Tyler really embodies that, so we sent him some drip.”

What does the future for Sober Society Goods look like?

“The future of Sober Society Goods looks like more complete collections, huge collaborations, a flagship location, and being featured in major retailers. We plan to be all over the culture, supplying people with cool art they can wear. We're even going to expand to home goods.”

What made you want to start the Digital Underdogs? Explain to the people what that is?

“The Digital Underdogs is a creative agency that promotes great, authentic art. We represent and develop artists, helping them reach the next level in their careers. We also provide production services, branding assistance, and creative consultation. We work with musical artists as well as visual artists.”

How do you feel about music rapidly changing as new artists emerge every day? Do you think it'll be good or bad later?

"I love the change in music. I believe in growth and innovation. Today's music sounds completely different than it did before, but it's all vibrational. The energy cannot be destroyed or recreated, so we have to appreciate it all. I'm excited to see where music goes with the enhanced access to information, as long as it's in the right hands. There's definitely some crappy music out there though. But music is subjective anyway."

Who are some of your favorite upcoming and rising artists at the moment?

"I will give you my top 15 right now in loose order, not too specific:

Kilo the Wizard

Nu$avv2x

Destroylonely

OODaredevil

10KDunkin

Veeze

T.airu

BoofPaxkMooky

Tony Shhnow

Li Sycho

Babydrill

Glokk40Spazz

Smoove Dinero

Bear1boss

Lil Xelly"

Stranded on an island and can only bring 1 album, what are you bringing?

"Barter 6 ouuu or Die Lit, can't lie."

What does the future for Damani look like?

"The future looks bright and looks like a lot of colors, mostly green. The real ones feel me. Honestly, though, it looks like buying my parents another crib in the south, liberating my people from the racial wealth gap and the denied access to industry positions. My life's goal is to level the playing field out here. We do that through access to resources and education."

Why does Damani, Sober Society, and the Digital Underdogs deserve to be in Firstplace?

"Damani, Sober Society, and the Digital Underdogs deserve to be in Firstplace because we're for the people. My winning means everyone is winning. I plan to serve Earth and humanity for good. Just working hard to make this a better place for all of us."

Well Damani is in FIRSTPLACE!. Make sure to follow him on Instagram @digitaldebo and to check out his platform as well @digitalunderdogs . Here is also the link to his clothing brand Sober Society Goods