Silibil N' Brains were a Scottish hip-hop duo consisting of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd (not to be confused with Scottish actor Billy Boyd). They are best known for masquerading as American rappers from California to secure a record deal,[1] a story which formed the basis of Bain's 2010 memoir California Schemin' (later reprinted as Straight Outta Scotland) and was adapted into the documentary film The Great Hip Hop Hoax.[2]
Silibil N' Brains | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dundee, Scotland |
| Genres | Scottish hip-hop |
| Years active | 1998-2005, 2013-present |
| Labels | Sony Records |
| Members | Gavin Bain Billy Boyd |
History
editIn the early 2000s, Bain and Boyd were working together in Scotland, but found that the idea of Scottish rap was not taken seriously in London. After being dismissed as "rapping Proclaimers" during auditions because of their accents,[1][2][3][4][5] they decided to take on American identities, pretending to be from San Jacinto in California. They created the personas of Silibil (Boyd, a play on "silly Bill" and "syllable") and Brains McLoud (Bain).
Under their new identity, they were more successful at getting attention in London. They moved to the city and secured live work. They rapidly got management with Jonathan Shalit and later a record deal with Sony Music UK for two singles and an album. The pair worked on recording material and continued to perform live, including opening for D12, and appearing on MTV. Their Scottish identity was known only to a small circle.[6]
However, Sony's merger and subsequent job losses left them without supporters in the record company and their planned first single was delayed for at least 6 months as the label focused on other acts. Boyd had got married and his wife, still in Scotland, was expecting a child. With work having dried up, he left the group, moving back to Scotland, and getting work in the oil industry.[6]
Bain continued performing as Brains on a smaller scale. He subsequently came out and revealed the hoax.[6]
The duo subsequently reunited and released an EP in October 2013 called Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.[7][8][9] They also uploaded unreleased material from their original 1998-2005 run to Bandcamp.
Bain released his solo album Almost Dead Famous on 4 July 2015, and has since continued his solo career as Brains.
Biopic
editA musical biographical film of the band entitled California Schemin' began filming in Scotland in November 2024, directed by James McAvoy.[10]
Discography
edit- "Play With Myself" (2004, promotional single)
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2013)
- Losers (2014, intended to be released in 2004 as the band's debut album)
- C**t (2015, demos recorded by the 2000s-era S&B live band in a more pop-punk style)
References
edit- ^ a b Seymour, Tom (19 August 2013). "Meet The Two Scottish Rappers Who Conned The World". Vice Magazine. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ a b "The great hip hop hoax - How the 'rapping Proclaimers' lived a lie". BBC News. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ Hoby, Hermione (19 April 2010). "Silibil N' Brains: the end of authenticity". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ "The Fake 'American' Rappers Who Fooled Everyone". NPR. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ Owen, Jonathan (10 March 2013). "Dundee duo caught LA on the hop". The Independent. London. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ^ a b c "BBC Four - Storyville, The Great Hip Hop Hoax". BBC.
- ^ "Scots fake hip-hop duo set to launch first album". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ "Rap duo make it after faking it". The Scotsman. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ "The Scots rappers who fooled an industry". 11 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ McDonald, Ben (4 November 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: James McAvoy filming new movie in Dundee as crew pictured outside multis and shopping centre". The Courier. Retrieved 4 November 2024.