These Are the Breaks!

Discover the extraordinary life of Lino “Lean Rock” Delgado-world-renowned DJ, international breaking champion, and acclaimed music producer-celebrated with official commendations by both the state of Massachusetts and the city of Boston in 2021.

THESE ARE THE BREAKS! offers an intimate glimpse into the world of Hip Hop culture, where Lean Rock battles the highs and lows of achieving mastery, confronts the shadows of perfectionism, and navigates the complexities of mental health. This is a story of resilience, growth, and the personal cost of greatness-told from within the movement, by one of its most iconic artists.

Praise for THESE ARE THE BREAKS!

These Are the Breaks! is a thoughtful and engaging reflection on adulthood, family legacies, and Hip-Hop culture… but it is much more than that. It is also an honest account of personal struggle, a deeply-rooted history of the Boston breaking scene, and a heartfelt meditation on the value and significance of Hip-Hop culture itself.

-Joseph Schloss, Ph.D., author of Foundation: B-Boys, B-Girls and Hip-Hop Culture in New York

Part autobiography, self-help, breaking technique, DJing philosophy, and part advice to students of Hip Hop, These Are the Breaks! offers insight, advocacy, and a reflection on what serves and harms the breaking community. Lean Rock has written something invaluable that I wish I had when I was a student.

-Imani Kai Johnson, Ph.D., author of Dark Matter in Breaking Cyphers: The Life of Africanist Aesthetics in Global Hip Hop

THESE ARE THE BREAKS! was co-authored by cultural historian Paul Vincent Ruma, whose decades of experience in global Hip Hop culture helped shape and preserve Lean Rock’s story for future generations.

Author Biography

DJ Lean Rock is an award-winning, internationally recognized DJ and dancer with a history of achievements in music production. His passion for Hip-Hop, well-rounded musical ear, and trendsetting influence within the Hip-Hop community have taken him to over 35 countries. He is regarded as a thought leader in the Hip-Hop world, possessing more than 25 years of knowledge and experience as a historian, educator, and practitioner. Lean Rock is also a member of the legendary Hip-Hop group, The Floorlords of Boston, MA, and the world champion breaking crew, The Squadron.Lino has collaborated with some of the best in the music industry and played on the biggest stages with Z-Trip, Nu-Mark, DJ Spinna, DJ Scratch, DJ Craze, Mr. Carmack, Falcons, Stro Elliot, and B. Bravo. These collaborations have inspired him to continuously elevate his craft. In 2021, Lean Rock was recognized for his contributions both internationally and locally by former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and former Boston Mayor Kim Janey. Recently, he was inducted into the Berklee College Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. Paul Vincent Ruma has spent over three decades documenting and shaping Hip Hop culture. As the co-author of THESE ARE THE BREAKS!, he worked closely with Lean Rock to capture and preserve his remarkable journey. A proven leader in skill development and education, he has coached and mentored generations of DJs and breaking champions through his M.E.B.T.R.I.L.L. training framework since 1998, most recently guiding 2024 Olympic medalists and breaking world champions from five countries. As the founder of Mighty4 and co-founder of Out For Fame, the USA’s first national breaking championship, his seminal events helped elevate breaking into a global competitive art. In 2024, alongside Lean Rock, he made history at Harvard University’s Hiphop Archive & Research Institute with Breaking Boundaries, the first formal recognition of breaking at an Ivy League institution. Pursuing a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology at UNLV and co-founder of Scholars of Style, he bridges Hip Hop culture and academia-staying true to his always a student ethos while preserving and evolving the culture worldwide.