GENA

GENA is a deep left-field R&B collaboration between drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer, rapper, and producer Hailee Williams, aka Liv.e. The Los Angeles-based Williams is known for her sizeable catalog of recordings that flouts genre boundaries and traditional song structures. Veteran drummer and beatmaker Riggins, a Detroiter, is a rare musician with concurrent jazz and hip-hop résumés that are equally impressive. Introduced through a mutual friend, Williams and Riggins formed a natural creative bond. The duo debuted on-stage in New York in April 2025, and a few months later performed at the Detroit Jazz Festival. That November, they issued the first GENA single, the low-slung "Circlesz." After two more previews spaced out over the next two months, Williams and Riggins offered The Pleasure Is Yours. Released in February 2026, the album was recorded through file sharing and with additional instrumentation from James Francies (keyboards), Isaiah Sharkey (guitar), and Burniss Travis (bass), among others.