"MONEY FIR$T"

Crumbled concrete is all that’s left from the battle between the streets and Money First. His goliath goals pounded ground for a solid standing in the world of music and entrepreneurship. Born in White Plains, New York, Damel “Money First” Harrison has already conquered a considerable amount of his endless pursuits with the help of a hefty store of infinite determination as well as his charming chameleon personality. But don’t be fooled by his affable exterior. His disarming appeal is merely a mask covering what is the embodiment of a true hustler spirit. This 21-year-old emcee has proven that he not only has the mind for music, but the strong-arm sculpt for a rock-solid business – several at that. To shape up, though, he had to endure the arduous battle between rap, basketball, and the street life. Lucky for us, it ended with music as the victor.

Money First, an only child, was brought up primarily by his mother. They moved to Newburgh, New York, where he currently resides, to avoid the same outcome as his father. However, with his mother working several jobs there to make ends meet with the higher living costs, they hardly ever saw each other so she didn’t have much time to actually raise him. This disconnection from his mother led Money First to travel down the cracked concrete of the street life, an innate fate of all the males in his family. Although at one point landing a basketball scholarship, Money First even lost that amidst the chaos of gangs, drugs, and arrests.

During the years of his delinquency, he was in and out of his household and eventually ended up living inside a 1990 Ford Taurus. It was during his residency at a license-plate address that Money First began to understand the cold hard reality of the dire need for cold hard cash. His rap career began with the help and faith of a local street and sports star. It was while Money First, formerly known as Mel Dolla, was in the 8th grade that the prominent local took notice of his musical abilities and decided to invest the time and money for him to battle rap. This step up the ladder broke through to the bottom when tragically, the local star was killed in a school shooting. Now that Money First didn’t have a helping hand, he had to dip into his bottomless pot of determination. He decided to carry on with his battling pursuits on his own. He would have to deal with more disappointment, though, when after almost landing an independent deal for an album, he wasn’t able to pursue it due to the greater obstruction of household restrictions. After this and his failed pursuits of his young basketball dreams, Money First still decided to carry on. He traveled around different cities in upstate New York, battling rappers which earned him money and their respect. He then went on to throw several battle/talent showcases himself, along with successful commercial and “hood” parties.

Moreover, the release of a mixtape in Newburgh and the defeat of the current local battle rap star won him prominence. Inspired by his mother’s hard work ethic, he worked endlessly to break free from the governing constrictions of the street life. Along with the inspiration from his mother, Money First also got motivation to keep trying by the unwavering spirit of a paraplegic friend, as well as the encouragement to rap from a close friend who was killed in a car accident. When Money First achieved his dream to be a record producer, his determination didn’t stop there. He then took his cue from Jay-Z to continue with his pursuits and achieve more than he had ever dreamed of before – to be an entrepreneur. As owner of the entertainment company Rule Entertainment, owner of the promotion company Spoiled Rotten Inc., and co-owner of Solid Steps Recording Studio, Money First has already created an impressive list of entrepreneurial activities. Although he is an entrepreneur before anything else, music is embedded in his soul. Along with entertaining the masses, Money First wants to inspire people with his music. It is his priority to give people hope, prove to them that their dreams are possible, and “to sell certainty in an uncertain world.” Money is the food of the ever-hungry need for survival. And to quench survival’s thirst, Dámel Harrison understood that he had to put Money First.