She described her parents as "very strict and old fashioned", but said they allowed her the freedom of "buying records and going to rock concerts" as long as she got good grades.

[4] Shwari's father continued this reward system by booking studio time whenever she came home with a favorable report card.

[5] During her college years, Shwari got her first record deal offer overseas, and dropped her studies to pursue music professionally.

She also worked with Jay-Z on his single "The Bounce", a tribute to the September 11 attacks,[6] later included on the soundtrack for NBA 2K13,[7][8] In 2012, Shwari started her own production company, BollyHood.

[3] In February 2014, Shwari was included in a permanent exhibition in the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum in Washington D.C., entitled "Beyond Bollywood", which presented the contributions of prominent South Asians in the United States.