Dundee’s Silibil N’ Brains star Billy Boyd sets the record straight in new autobiography
More than two decades after one of the most extraordinary stories to emerge from Dundee’s music scene, Billy Boyd is finally telling his side of what really happened.
The musician, best known as one half of the Scottish hip-hop duo Silibil N’ Brains, has released a new autobiography titled Silibil n Brains - But What About Really?, offering a deeply personal account of the events that inspired the James McAvoy film California Schemin’.
The story began in the early 2000s when Boyd and fellow musician Gavin Bain, frustrated by rejection from the music industry because of their Scottish accents, adopted American identities in an attempt to break into the business.
What started as an act of defiance against industry expectations quickly developed into an elaborate deception, attracting attention from record labels and eventually becoming one of the most talked-about stories in Scottish music.
Their extraordinary journey has since been documented in The Great Hip Hop Hoax and brought to the big screen through California Schemin’, directed by Hollywood actor James McAvoy.
However, Boyd believes there is much more to the story than audiences have seen.
His new autobiography, published earlier last month, explores the pressures of living under an invented identity, the realities of the music industry and the consequences of watching his personal experiences become the subject of different interpretations over more than 20 years.
Speaking about the book, Boyd explained:
“As well as diving in to the true story behind California Schemin, I wanted to discuss the stresses of living as an alter ego.”
The book also addresses what Boyd considers to be misconceptions and inaccuracies that have developed as his experiences have been retold through documentaries, interviews and film.
“There’s a lot more to the story than has ever been told on screen so I wanted to address those moments in detail and right some of the wrongs,” he added.
“It is my attempt to put the human side back at the centre of a tale that has spent more than twenty years becoming this legend.”
Beyond the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Silibil N’ Brains, the autobiography explores friendship, ambition, identity and the importance of remaining authentic.
For Boyd, it is an opportunity to reclaim his own narrative and reflect on how an unlikely adventure that began with two aspiring musicians has continued to follow him throughout his life.
The story also retains strong connections to Dundee, where the duo’s musical ambitions first took shape and where parts of California Schemin’ were filmed.
Billy Boyd will be returning to Dundee on Friday 6 November for a special event celebrating his autobiography at Temple Lane, beginning at 7pm.
Silibil n Brains - But What About Really? is available now, with further information available at silibil.com.
