scholars of style

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.