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Hip Hop, Hoaxes and Creative Identity: Let's Discuss California Schemin
8 Playsin 12 hours
In this episode, Satsunami discusses James McEvoy's directorial debut California Schemin' where two aspiring hip hop artists from Dundee pretend to be Californian in order to succeed. But how did it impact their identity as Scots? And how does it resonate with the struggle of content creators nowadays? Without any further ado, let's find out!
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Transcript
Introduction to Chatsunami
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami, a Scottish variety podcast that discusses topics from gaming and films to anime and general interest. Join me, your host, Satsunami, as well as the rest of our Chatsunami team for our takes on these very important pop culture topics. Sir, it's clearly a trap. I accept copyright! That happens three times in the film. Every time that general goes, don't do this one thing, he goes, do you know what I'm gonna do? That's exactly...
00:00:27
Speaker
It doesn't well. She had the pointy teeth. What was that about? She looked like Bilbo when he wants the ring back. ah She did, didn't she? I just want the lightsaber one more time. Parasite says, no, you will get back into your office and work. No, says the man in Zoom. yeah Trousers are for the working man. You're bursting into your hotel room. Honey, we need to go.
00:00:50
Speaker
Leave the kids. You can milk an odysl. Oh.
00:00:58
Speaker
That's the worst thing you've ever said on any of the episodes. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check us out at our website, chattsunami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
00:01:14
Speaker
Stay classy and have bit of... This has been chattsunami. I'm sorry.
00:01:25
Speaker
If you were asked to think of a British accent, what would you think of? Now,
Bias Against Scottish Accents
00:01:29
Speaker
this isn't a trick question, Pandalorians. I genuinely want you to take a moment to think about this. Is it someone with a refined English accent who hails from London? Or is it more something out of Oliver Twist with the old BOTTLE OF WATER stereotype? If so, then I'm not here to call you out on it, but it is a topic that's been weighing on my mind for a while. I've lived in Scotland my whole life, and I'm proud to be from here. Yet there's a somewhat underlying feeling that sometimes people have a perceived bias towards the accent, and you can't help but feel self-conscious. While my accent is definitely not the strongest, I've had a few comments on it in the past which were certainly not positive. One of the worst examples I remember was being on the phone to someone from England, who kept insisting that they couldn't understand what I was saying.
00:02:17
Speaker
Despite trying my best to tone down my accent even further, she was insistent that she still couldn't understand me. After all, there's only so many ways you can pronounce something before sounding like a man of many voices, and I was dangerously close to sounding like an extra from Braveheart.
Classism and Stereotypes at University of Edinburgh
00:02:34
Speaker
In the end, she insisted that I must have been from Finland before hanging up.
00:02:39
Speaker
Definitely one of the more unique things I've been called for sure. But between that and my many experiences of trying to converse with Londoners as if I were speaking a second language, there is a key difference between someone wanting to clarify what I've said versus actively looking down on me for how I sound. And surprisingly,
00:02:58
Speaker
I'm not alone in that. One infamous example I remember in 2025 came from a study that found roughly 70% of students at the University of Edinburgh came from either the rest of the United Kingdom or abroad.
00:03:11
Speaker
Because many of these students were from more well-off backgrounds, this led to some poor-taste jokes by the student newspaper The Tab the previous year's. stating that the lack of Scottish students was, and I quote, as God intended.
00:03:25
Speaker
Now, we'd be here all day if I had to list every stupid thing a university student has said or done, but nevertheless, it highlighted a culture of classism, which only sought to look down on Scottish students based on their socio-economic backgrounds as well as the way they spoke.
00:03:41
Speaker
It was really disturbing to think how normalised this seemed, thereby encouraging Scottish students to change themselves in order to fit in. Of course, stereotypes are going to exist regardless of the accent.
00:03:53
Speaker
And while I don't believe that this is a sacrosanct thing that can't be poked fun at, the issue lies in when it's intertwined with reductive stereotypes that belittle or mock who we are. Instead of treating people with respect, we're told that it's simply a joke and that we should brush it off, which is indeed a
Scottish Accents in Disney Films
00:04:11
Speaker
slippery slope. There's two examples I can think of off the top of my head, in particular for mainstream companies like Disney, which arguably has a significant reach in its portrayal of Scots. The first is in the film Brave, where one of the rival clans speak what is perceived as gibberish, but in actuality it's the Scots language Doric. As a Scot who doesn't understand it as well myself, I can appreciate how even the Scottish voice characters look on in confusion.
00:04:37
Speaker
In turn, I wouldn't necessarily say this was overly harmful, especially when the rest of the film features Scottish actors and handles the characters throughout well. The flip side of this however is a throwaway joke in one of their other films Wreck-It Ralph 2 where Merida, the Disney princess in Brave, makes a return and says something in Scots with an exaggerated accent only for the other princesses to look on and say they can't understand her.
00:05:02
Speaker
Now, I'm not going to pretend that I am heavily offended by a silly joke like this, or that it's the most offensive thing I've ever heard, but it's a small example of a bigger societal problem. That's not to mention historical dubbings of certain films, such as the first 10 minutes of Trainspotting in America, or the entirety of the Scottish film Gregory's Girl that has a different version with a more neutral accent to make the characters more understandable. Heck, even in the Scottish comedy series Rab C. Nesbitt, they poke fun at this trope when the main character travels to London, and both Rab and the English person he's talking to has subtitles translating what they're saying to one another. In fact, the reason I started writing this whole episode was because i stumbled across a video of Scottish actor James McAvoy talking about the unfortunate side of reductive Scottish stereotypes. In it, he spoke about how there's a fine line between someone who isn't particularly well versed in the accent and needs clarification versus someone who pulls from harmful stereotypes in order to mock or
Scottish Stereotypes in Film Industry
00:06:05
Speaker
belittle people. And while that is definitely not a Scottish-centric issue, the reason he was talking about this was because he was there to discuss his directorial debut film, in California Scheming, that follows the story of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, two Dundee-based hip-hop artists who in the early 2000s pretended to be American just so they could get a record deal. What i will say is I genuinely had no idea about this story beforehand and was surprised to hear how far this lie actually went.
00:06:33
Speaker
Released in April of 2026 in the yeah UK, the story follows the dizzying highs of their journey into stardom as they rebranded themselves as Syllable and Brains, a rapping duo from California whose story was written in Bane's 2010 memoir California Scheming and a subsequent documentary in 2013 called The Great Hip Hop Hoax. which as of recording this episode is now available on Netflix.
00:06:57
Speaker
Maybe it's because I'm Scottish myself, but the film really struck a chord with me and how i myself have been perceived through my life. But how does McAvoy explore the themes of identity through California Scheming? How do two lads from Dindee become a hip-hop sensation? And how did it all unravel?
00:07:14
Speaker
Well, grab your headphones, Mandalorians, as we dive into California Scheming. But first, we'll be right back after these messages. Howdy, I'm Luke from the Howdy Beans podcast, a variety podcast where I look into topics each week into the world of pop culture, like book reviews, where I delve deep into the expanded universe of Doctor Who, or a movie review on the 1998 cult classic, The Mummy. Well, if you're very lucky, I might take a peek under the hood of video games, both new and old.
00:07:42
Speaker
So what are you waiting for? Check out the Howdy Beans podcast now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else that you may find your podcasts. And I'll see you very soon.
00:07:55
Speaker
We're Seismic Cinema, I'm Colin, I've probably not seen it. Paul's watched it in the wrong order. And I'm James, and I've probably written an essay on it. And that's Seismic Cinema, we believe in the power of escapism.
00:08:10
Speaker
thank good for that other Before I go on, I would wholeheartedly recommend watching the documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax as it is really fascinating to see how the duo rose to prominence as essentially two characters in the world of music. And while the film certainly capitalises on the more dramatic moments, it's still good to get some context around the reality of events. The film stars Seamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley who play Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd respectively. Ironically enough, it wasn't until after the film that I found out Samuel is actually from Bradford, yet kills it with a Scottish accent. That aside, both actors do an absolutely incredible job of capturing their descent into madness as they become swallowed up by the industry that they seek approval from. It's almost captivating seeing how they evolve through the course of the film and into something completely unrecognisable.
00:09:02
Speaker
What starts as a somewhat well-intentioned series of hijinks spirals into a world of
Music Industry Biases and True Identity
00:09:08
Speaker
debauchery and deceit. The film begins with the duo stuck in a dead-end call centre job, lamenting about making it big when an opportunity arrives in the form of an audition call down in London. After scraping up what little they have, they make their way to the English capital to show what they are made of. In any other story, This would usually be the bit where the producers roll their eyes and then are blown away by the talent before them. But unfortunately, that's not how things go. Instead, they are laughed at and openly mocked, being told that they're like a rapping version of the Proclaimers. which are essentially shattered their dreams.
00:09:43
Speaker
This is further reinforced when, after returning to Dundee, Bane and Boyd phoned around various music producers but, due to their accent, were immediately shut down. It isn't until they jokingly phoned one of the companies in an American accent that they got taken seriously, resulting in a domino effect that led to them not only being signed by Sony for a record deal worth thousands of pounds but also blagged away into performing with the band E12. Just when you think you know where the story's going, it takes a drastic shift where the lies take their toll. And what makes this story so captivating is aged by several powerhouse performances throughout, from Lucy Halliday who plays Billy's partner Mary, and Rebecca Murrell who plays their agent Tessa, to even James McAvoy himself getting a role as the surly head of the record label that signs them on. While you don't necessarily agree with what ended up happening after the lies, you can at least sympathise with their plight to a degree. Look, I'll be honest, I get their initial intentions of deciding to expose the music industry by becoming famous, only to then reveal who they truly were on national TV, but what's so fascinating about this film and the reality of it all is just how they lost themselves within the personas of Syllable and Brains.
00:10:58
Speaker
In both accounts of the story, Friends and loved ones commented about how different both rappers became after adopting the accent. It almost felt like initially it began as a silly personality, but would eventually turn into a more parasitic character that overtook who they truly were. It's actually one of the few criticisms I have of the film, where at the end, Tessa confronts Gavin a few months after he attempts to take his own life, and scolds him for radically altering his life because of one bad audition. And while I objectively agree that this is a drastic thing to do, it's not exactly that simple. In the years I've been doing content creation, I see my personality split into two sides, the person I am outside the podcast and the host Satsunami. While I know of course that they are the same person inherently, there is that sense of separation where I don't have to always have the two interlink with one another, but the one thing I cannot change is the fact that I am indeed Scottish and that is something I would never hide.
00:11:58
Speaker
I've seen a number of cases, whether that's streamers or podcasters alike, adopt a character or big up traits of theirs in order to attract more viewers. And that's not meant as a criticism against doing such a thing. If anything, it's more a lament about how people feel forced to do that in order to stand out. In turn, this leads to them getting burnt out quicker. And while maybe not to the same degree as syllable and brains, it takes a lot of energy to put yourself out there like that.
00:12:26
Speaker
when i say I would never hide my Scottishness. That isn't to say I'm sitting upon my tartan high horse here, munching at Unix Tea Cake in judgement to those who would. But instead it brings to light how many feel pressured to do so in order to succeed in creative spaces.
00:12:41
Speaker
The early 2000s was especially brutal for this as the entertainment industry was nothing more than a vain burn book out in the open. If you so much as spoke or looked differently, then you would be verbally beaten away or used as an image of mockery. Heck, look at talent shows back in the day which have been so sanitised and Americanised. Now they barely resemble what they used to be, whether that was X Factor or Britain's Got Talent. Unless they had talent themselves, anyone with a northern accent seemed to the very least get a raised eyebrow. Nowadays, I will admit that things are somewhat slightly better, but as someone who isn't part of that industry, I can't pretend to know if significant changes have been made. And if any Pandalorians out there are know for a fact if it's changed or not, then please feel free to reach out because I would love to hear from you. That being said, it is good to see more Scottish creatives nowadays that isn't the equivalent of slapping a Shrek accent on a character and calling it a day. The thing that gets me the most is, when thinking about California scheming, was the fact that the studio conducting the casting call wanted someone like Eminem rather than producing genuine talent of their own.
00:13:51
Speaker
Well, I get this from a business perspective. I've personally seen this countless times of people in the indie content creation world wanting to be the next this or that, but never the first themselves. Again, there's a key difference between being inspired by someone versus wanting to be them. Even in my side hobby of language learning, one thing that really shocked was was hearing people wanting to learn how to speak English, but simultaneously refusing to speak it in their own accent.
00:14:18
Speaker
Going back to what I said at the start of the episode, many people asked me to teach them how to speak in a British accent, failing to understand that this encompasses a rich linguistic variety from several countries. While it's obviously a requirement to change our pronunciations to be understood in said language, there is a danger of pursuing a more romanticised version of yourself until it barely resembles the person that you actually are.
00:14:44
Speaker
Unfortunately, as we've established before, This is even common when people speak the same language. I was discussing this very thing with a trilingual friend of mine who had highlighted that this is particularly prominent between those with a Northern English working class accent versus those in London. In a survey carried out in 2022, 46% of workers had faced jokes about their accent, reporting jokes at their workplace. And while i touched on Edinburgh University earlier, the same can be said for England, where a study carried out by Professor Devani Sharma from the Queen Mary University in London found that 35% of students felt self-conscious about the way they spoke.
00:15:25
Speaker
A further 31% of students also experienced fears that their accent could negatively impact their career prospects. This re relates to the wider psychology study of accent perception, as well as its link to the social identity theory that causes people to categorise others based on their wider perception of said groups.
00:15:45
Speaker
While there are a number of factors to consider here, it's also interesting to note that language patterns have evolved significantly over the years, thanks to the internet. While not necessarily a new phenomenon, our interconnected world has led to children especially altering the way they speak based on videos they watched online via sites like YouTube and TikTok.
00:16:06
Speaker
Bit of a side tangent here, but I remember in English class writing an essay essay and accidentally using the word vacation instead of holiday because I think I had seen it in a film, and the long story short my teacher brought out the red pen immediately, underscored the word vacation three times, and then put the very helpful note, Americanized?
00:16:27
Speaker
Question mark, question mark, question mark. Honestly, if I still had that essay I would definitely show you guys, but yeah, even back then in the 2000s it was getting to be a little bit of a problem, but in Scotland we've seen a somewhat dilution of the accent in some areas. with people at best having a more neutral accent, while at the worst adopting the infamous Glasgow Uni accent. And for legal reasons, that is indeed a joke. But even when people try to pretend to be something they aren't, it is so much easier now for viewers to call them out on it, which is just not something Bane and Boyd would have had the same back then, but as for syllable and brains. The sad thing is that both of them were still talented, and if I recall correctly, I think the duel ended up ending the charade in their own terms. There was no dramatic blow-up in something like Jonathan Ross, there was no scheme where they were thrown out into the street or anything. i think it just essentially run its course and both of them eventually got tired of keeping up that personality. But again, from what I remember, Boyd went on to work in the oil rigs and raise his family with his wife, while Bean continued to work in music production. It's the thing they mentioned themselves that while the act itself was fake, their actual hip-hop talent was 100% real.
Staying True in Creative Work
00:17:42
Speaker
We've often heard the phrase, fake it till you make it, and sadly in this example, it was true. As far as I'm aware, while this story has gained traction, I do worry that nowadays people are willing to throw away their authentic selves in search of fame or even just simple validation. And that is the true tragedy.
00:18:00
Speaker
As a final point, I cannot outs stress that this is not to call out anyone for trying this. In a world of hate and oversaturation, it can be hard to stand out in the creative sphere.
00:18:11
Speaker
While I'm glad the story of syllable and brains had a somewhat bittersweet ending, with the duo going their separate ways, their success highlights a severe societal issue that spans beyond Scotland.
00:18:23
Speaker
In an interview with Bane and Boyd for the Radio Times, both expressed their hopes for people to be inspired by their journey and believed that in turn people would succeed in their own creative endeavours. While it probably didn't do much to expose an industry already devoid of integrity, i can't help but admire their tale of resilience in what was otherwise a hopeless situation at the time. But my parting words for this, Pandalorians, is, while it may be hard, Try to be the best version of yourself that you can be. There will be times where you'll meet some horrid people, even for a brief moment in your lives, who may talk down on you based on how you sound, but the only ones who can determine your own worth is yourself.
00:19:02
Speaker
And to all the Scottish Pandalurians out there are struggling with similar issues, I believe in you. From one Scot to another, we've got this. If you haven't seen California Scheming yet, then I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Between the performances, directing and even cinematography, this is one hoax that you will want to know more about. But what did you think about this film? And have you ever been in a similar situation where you've questioned your identity in your content creation journey?
00:19:28
Speaker
Whatever the answer, feel free to let us know below because we would love to hear
Conclusion and Listener Acknowledgements
00:19:32
Speaker
from you. But as always, thank you all so, so much for listening to this episode of Chatsunami. If you would like to listen to more episodes from our ourselves, then you can check us out at our website, chatsunami.com, as well as all good podcast apps. I also want to give a huge shout out to our Pandalorian patrons, Robotic Battle Toaster, Ghost Day, and Cryptic 1991. Thank you all so, so much for supporting the show. And if you would like early access to episodes, bonus content, as well as a whole range of exclusive goodies, then you can check us out at our Patreon page, patreon.com forward slash. at Tsunami. This podcast is of course a proud member of the Popat Collective. For further information, check us out at our Twitter slash X page at Popat Collect. But as always, thank you all so so much for listening. Stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.