From February 16 to May 18, 1992, Gardner filmed
The Real World: New York, the first season of MTV's reality television series,
The Real World, on which she appeared as a cast member. The series premiered May 21 that year. On the show, she was depicted as a
hip-hop artist with the group
Boogie Down Productions, on the verge of getting her big career break. During the season, she is seen recording her first album. According to MTV's biography for her: "She has a lot of drive and dedication to whatever she is doing. She makes friends quickly and always speaks her mind regardless of the consequences." Gardner scored a minor role in the 1995 film
Dead Presidents as "Peaches". In 1997, Gardner signed with
MCA Records and in 1998 she released the single, "Do You," which had a considerable amount of television and radio airplay. She was identified by
XXL magazine as being in their 1998 photograph
A Great Day in Hip Hop. In 2002 Gardner produced her second album,
Eternal Affairs, with production from Pete Rock and DJ Premier. The album met with positive reviews. Outside of her music career, Gardner has appeared in various projects and television specials related to
The Real World. She also appeared in the film
The Wedding Video directed by
Real World alum
Norman Korpi, and a 2005 television commercial for
America Online anti-virus software. Gardner's third studio album,
Open Bar, which was executive-produced by DJ Premier. As of 2012, Gardner is the co-host of the
Sirius Satellite Radio show
Sway in the Morning with former
MTV reporter
Sway Calloway. In 2016 the duo appeared in the twelfth episode, "Soliloquy of Chaos," of
Luke Cage, interviewing
Method Man, about being rescued by Cage during a hold-up of a Harlem bodega. She appeared as herself in the 2018
Bruce Willis film
Death Wish. In 2021, she portrayed the character Aunt Ruth in the
Jussie Smollett movie
B-Boy Blues, Smollett's adaptation of the novel series written by
James Earl Hardy. ==Personal life==