Scots rappers forced to fake American accents for two years after winning big money deal

May 11 2008 Exclusive by Fariha Karim

A SCOTS skateboarder and his pal yesterday revealed how they won a big-money record deal by pretending to be Californian gangsta rappers.

Dundonian rappers Silibil'n'Brains - aka Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain - were forced to spend two years faking US accents after being snapped up by Sony.

They were bankrolled to live and work in London, were paid s150,000, partied with Madonna, played sell-out gigs and toured with Eminem's band D12.

But the Hollywood pair were actually college pals from Tayside, who decided to fake it after being laughed at when they rapped in Scottish accents.

Billy - who had never even been to America - and Gavin adopted their elaborate new identities as a joke after being compared to a "rapping Proclaimers".

The amazing scam lasted from 2003 until 2005 when the strain of living like real-life Ali Gs took its toll and the duo split.

Billy, 27, who now runs fashion boutique Concrete Jungle in Dundee, said: "We would phone up record companies and say we were Scottish rappers and they'd hang up.

"Then as a joke, I put on an American accent saying we were here for two weeks and straight away they said, 'Can you come and meet us?'

"Then we went on stage and rapped in American accents.

"When a guy from Island records came up to us afterwards we knew we'd look stupid if we spoke in our normal accents, and from that moment on, there was no turning back."

The pair were introduced to music industry boss Jonathan Shalit, who launched Charlotte Church's career. He got them signed up after Sony won a bidding war for their signatures.

Soon they were recording in top studios and attending parties with Kelly Osbourne, Green Day and R&B queen Jamelia. They mixed with celebs like Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas.

Production company Endemol even used them in a pilot for a television show, because the pair were so good at living up to their American goofball reputations.

They even "faked" Scottish accents to make people laugh.

Gavin, 26, said: "We did Billy Connolly and people were blown away by Americans doing such good Scottish accents."

They got VIP treatment in London shops and were treated like royalty at gigs and clubs. So ingrained was their deception that they began to dislike hearing real Scottish accents

Gavin said: "I went out with lots of girls who were a million miles out of my league. If I was me, Gavin from Dundee, they wouldn't even talk to me.

"But. 'Hey, I'm Brains McCloud, who the f*** are you?' Then it's a different scenario - you've scored them before you've even thought about it. People are so shallow.

"Eventually, when we'd meet Scottish people or overhear them in a bar, we'd think, oh God, they're so uncivilised - we'd actually think things like that. We'd cringe."

They pretended to know nothing about "soccer" during a charity tournament attended by Rod Stewart and Ray Winstone.

The keen footballers asked, "Soccer, right?

You pick up the ball and run?", before playing like naturals. Billy added: "Because we're performers, we didn't find it that hard to keep doing it. It became second nature.

"But everyday, the thought of getting caught was one of our worries. Were leased a single which was on TV and we thought 'People are going to say, 'I know those guys, they're not from America'."

One time they were almost rumbled was when Gavin spotted an old colleague from a Dundee skate shop at a party for Jamelia's manager. They hid in toilets until she disappeared.

They only came clean as their work began to stall due to a merger between Sony and BMG.

Billy said: "I found the music industry full of waiting and waiting and we were on hold. My wife was pregnant and I needed security. I didn't want to live in London just getting money. When I left everyone still thought I was American.

"But I came back and I was me again. Everyone just thought it was really funny.

"That whole life was really, really weird. It was a rollercoaster ride. It was great fun. But I don't miss it.

"I'm really happy about what I did but now I'm happily married with a great wee son, so I'll just look back and say what a crazy thing to have done." Gavin has also given up his Californian persona and now works in a north London watch designers office.

But the pair remain on good terms with the music industry.

Sony declined to comment but ex-manager Shalit said: "Everyone scams their CV, don't they?

"The bottom line is, we signed them because we liked their music. But from my point of view, the fact that it's turned out not to be true is irrelevant. If I'd signed them because of their story, I would have checked it out. But they could have been Brixton road sweepers for all I'd have cared.

"The frustrating thing is that they could have been fantastic. When they were together they were really funny and had a lot of ideas and TV companies were really interested in them for a while.

"I have very fond memories of them but 99 per cent of people in this business are chasing rainbows."

'We did Billy Connolly and people were blown away by some Americans doing such good Scottish accents'Dundonian Gavin Bain

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