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Vancouver Invented Hip-Hop, Documentary 'Sample This' Shows (VIDEO)

WATCH: Vancouver Invented Hip-Hop

Vancouver is famous for inventing many things—the California roll, Douglas Coupland, botox—but taking credit for hip-hop seems a bit of a stretch.

Nevertheless, stepping forward in the category of "things you would never guess", comes this extraordinary revelation: hip hop was invented in Vancouver. For real.

Don't believe us? Check out music documentary "Sample This", which traces the origins of the most influential music form of the late 20th century back to Can-Base studios (which became Mushroom Studios) on Vancouver's west side.

That's where, in 1973, the most sampled tracks in hip-hop history were laid, as part of the Incredible Bongo Band album, "Bongo Rock". First seized upon by Bronx DJ Kool Herc, the percussion breaks in "Apache" are now cemented as the bedrock of the genre.

As The Roots' Questlove puts it: "Not everything cool came from Detroit or Muscle Shoals. This came from Vancouver, Canada."

The film's director, Dan Forrer (who will introduce the movie in Vancouver on Monday), told the Georgia Straight that audiences are generally surprised to see a grey-haired white man step onto the stage following a screening.

"Everybody figured the film was made by a 36-year-old black guy."

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