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Taiwan, San Francisco, Slovakia – these are just a few stops of DJ Lean Rock’s 2011 tour that takes him to the world’s best clubs and top b-boy battles such as the Braun Battle of the Year. As a product of the Hip Hop scene, the Boston-based DJ has hit the big time, making it from acknowledged b-boy to one of the world’s most respected DJs in under five years.

DJ Lean Rock’s CV is one big success story. Although as a kid he never really planned to become a DJ (little Lean Rock wanted to be in the NBA or a Ninja Turtle), he is now a top turntablist at only 22, has worked with the likes of DJ Spinna, DJ Scratch and Jazzy Jay and has released four official mixes full of b-boy breaks. Quite a surprising career considering that he actually started out as a b-boy, right?

“Not really,” says the ‘student of Hip Hop’, as Lean Rock likes to call himself. “As a B-boy you thrive off the music. It makes you creative and innovative. My father also is a B-boy/DJ and I was surrounded by DJs all my life – so it was kind of natural to me to become one. And once I started digging, it became an addiction.”

This addiction pushed him to pursue both the b-boying and DJing elements of Hip Hop. Not only did he win numerous top b-boy battles such as Out For Fame or the United Styles World B-boy Cup, but he also built his unique style at the turntables, influenced by the golden era of Hip Hop and the likes of DJ Leacy. “We’re talking about artists and groups like Tribe Called Quest, Kool G Rap or Wu Tang. I simply love the Hip Hop classics and I don’t think you can really compare today’s music to them. Sure, there are always artists who are innovative, but you need the musical influence of the past to do that.”

Despite his job on the decks, Lean Rock is still a b-boy at heart. “I’m still part of the b-boy scene and I still get down. I also like to follow b-boying competitions like United Styles, Outbreak or B-Boy City. And one event I always want to check out is the legendary Braun Battle of the Year.”

This year he gets the chance to do just that. As the main DJ for the respected breakdance series, Lean Rock is experiencing the Braun Battle of the Year from up close, spinning tracks for his fellow b-boys and b-girls. “Braun BOTY has set the tone for most of the other major b-boy events, it’s an amazing experience! I also think it’s kind of cool that the guys from Braun support this sort of event because after all their products are also about self-expression and doing your thing.”

Armed with about 1,500 vinyl LPs and new Technic M5Gs turntables, DJ Lean Rock spins anything that’s funky and raw. “The music I play is usually aggressive – I’m all about the boom-bap! Also I’ve been learning more scratching and beat juggling techniques as of lately to add more flavor to my style.”

His flavor is not only down to techniques and skills though, it’s shaped by his love of music in general. “To me, music means life. It means passion, love, creativity and plenty of other things,” he says. “DJing and b-boying are my profession as well as what I do in my free time. Hip Hop is what I live and what I love. I do this 24/7 – even in my sleep.”

For more information about the Braun Battle Of The Year visit:
Braun Battle Of The Year
Music from Dj Lean Rock:
DJ Lean Rock on Myspace .