Until nu skool breaks came about, all breaks tracks were built from the breakdown of another song. This means that the natural imperfections of a live drummer were incoporated into the track, creating a "broken beat" unlike the perfectly regular beats of house et al.
Breaks are very popular in Florida, which has it's own styles such as Tampa breaks and Miami bass, and California. I'm sure there must be some reason for this, but cannot say what it is.