Producer and multi-instrumentalist Karriem Riggins often shifted between jazz and hip-hop. Primarily a drummer, he backed Betty Carter at the age of 17. Before he turned 20, he gained steady work with gigs, session dates, and production work. He also established a lasting creative relationship with rapper Common, beginning with 1997's One Day It'll All Make Sense. Throughout the 2000s, he continued to work with jazz musicians while collaborating with fellow Detroiters Slum Village and J Dilla. In 2012, he released recordings of his own. The sibling releases Alone and Together -- abstract, sample-heavy beat collages, close in spirit to Dilla's Donuts -- were released on vinyl and as digital downloads. They were combined as Alone Together for the CD format. ~ Andy Kellman