Richard crazy legs colon biography

• Richard Colón, widely known by his nickname "Crazy Legs," is a b-boy and early pioneer of breaking.
• Crazy Legs was exposed to hip-hop as a kid in the Bronx, and went on to create iconic dance moves, like the back spin.
• He hopes breaking's Black and brown roots won't be lost as it expands globally. 

This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with Richard "Crazy Legs" Colón, a b-boy who pioneered breaking in the '70s and '80s.

The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm one of the people who helped bring hip-hop around the world. I come from a single-parent family of five boys, one girl. We grew up with all the typical ups and downs of a childhood in the Bronx — you name it, I've faced it, the good and the bad. 

I've always been around music because my family's Puerto Rican, so all you need is a reason for a party