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    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    'Breaking a Monster' Captures Unlocking the Truth’s Meteoric Rise

    Just one year after a video of the band Unlocking the Truth playing in Times Square went viral, they were signed to a $1.8 million recording contract. They played at SXSW and Coachella. They opened for Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. It was a meteoric rise for three black 13-year-olds from Brooklyn.

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    By Madeleine Brand • Jun 30, 2016 • 1 min read

    Just one year after a video of the band Unlocking the Truth playing in Times Square went viral, they were signed to a $1.8 million recording contract. They played at SXSW and Coachella. They opened for Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. It was a meteoric rise for three black 13-year-olds from Brooklyn. A filmmaker named Luke Meyer followed them with his camera through it all, and the result is a documentary called “Breaking a Monster.” The subtitle might have been ‘be careful what you wish for’.

    The full episode

    4 of 5
    Are Officials Taking LA’s Housing Crisis Seriously Enough?
    1. 0:30Tenants Rights Advocates Lose Another Battle Against a Developer
    2. 9:39New Facebook Algorithm Makes News Orgs Nervous
    3. 18:14Remembering Futurist Alvin Toffler and Forecasting the Future of Futurology
    4. 29:18'Breaking a Monster' Captures Unlocking the Truth’s Meteoric RiseYou’re reading this
    5. 42:24Who Got Rich Off the $1.3 Billion Student Debt Crisis?
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jolie Myers

      Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Luke Meyer

      Director

      News

    The full episode

    4 of 5
    Are Officials Taking LA’s Housing Crisis Seriously Enough?
    1. 0:30Tenants Rights Advocates Lose Another Battle Against a Developer
    2. 9:39New Facebook Algorithm Makes News Orgs Nervous
    3. 18:14Remembering Futurist Alvin Toffler and Forecasting the Future of Futurology
    4. 29:18'Breaking a Monster' Captures Unlocking the Truth’s Meteoric RiseYou’re reading this
    5. 42:24Who Got Rich Off the $1.3 Billion Student Debt Crisis?
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand