Nzingha Stewart's street-cred hip-hop direction has continued unperturbed since her days with now defunct Propaganda, where Ol' Dirty Bastard and Rah Digga had Stewart infuse meaningful visuals in their promos.

Now nestled within LA-based DNA, Stewart, 28, keeps the pace alive by racking up respectable credits in both the music video and commercial world.

Sexy MC Eve recently received some of the best lighting in "Satisfaction" - currently in heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 - while Nivea's "Laundromat" somehow sidesteps convention to allure the viewer as we follow the songstress grooving amid her dirty drawers.

Stewart says she enjoys working with products. "On a commercial the product is never gonna walk off the set or complain that they just can't perform," explains the Brooklyn native. "You have more control and get specific on how you want certain elements to look."

That said, she doesn't shy away from weighty matter. A 15-minute documentary on AIDS, recently shot on DV, not only left Stewart with little time to chill, but also gave her the satisfaction of capturing meaningful work.

Stewart shot footage of a pregnant HIV-positive 17-year-old warning teens of the perils of unprotected sex. "Her story is one that touched me," she says. And DV was "a perfect tool in certain scenarios that unfolded before us. You don't require a major lighting setup and don't have to change the roll at inconvenient moments. It allowed for spontaneity, which naturally comes up with docs."

Clearly, technology excites Stewart's sensibilities. "I'm at a great place now to experiment with new ideas, new lenses, different types of lighting and pacing."

It's a far cry from her early career, which saw Stewart writing treatments in the mid-'90s for the likes of hip-hop guru Hype Williams, shot on low-budget 16mm videos in her free time following her studies at NYU. "I called in favors and shot as much as I could," recalls Stewart, who hasn't looked back since. "Then I found an agent and started getting more work."

An MTV "Rock The Vote" PSA plus a striking campaign for the WNBA through Wieden + Kennedy first placed Stewart on the commercial map back in 2001, raising creative eyebrows as agencies peeked at her reel. She shot six spots in one day on a Broadway stage for client ESPN with DP Welles Hackitt lensing the action. Stewart captured precise visuals as the WNBA's best strutted their stuff on court, creating ballet-like visuals with musical ambience to match.

"That was the coolest experience I've had in spotmaking so far," says the director, who counts Hype Williams, Spike Jonze and Diane Martel as her main directorial influences. "I love the sports-oriented stuff because that's what excites me."

Her latest foray into the commercial realm is an upcoming Coors Light campaign through Carol H. Williams Advertising of Oakland, CA.

Patricia Judice, execproducer of commercials at DNA, observes that Stewart has "a passion for the image and it shows in her work. She loves her work, is humble but wise enough to realize she has to expand her resume to stay fresh."

Stewart concedes she likes to mix it up. "I want to bring life and energy to my work because I'm so passionate about what I do. I want to continually learn and collaborate to bring as much to the idea as possible."

With dwindling budgets plaguing many in the business, it doesn't faze Stewart - after all, she started out with ludicrously small amounts of cash in hand and, to this day, is budget-conscious. "I get exactly what I want and need without the client going home spending more money than what was allocated."

Information:
Representation: LA-based DNA
Years directing: Pro since 1998
Jobs per year: 15-20
Geography: Brooklyn native, based in NY
Latest inspiration: Old movies - they have amazing pacing. In fact, I'm working on shaping a spot or video with a single stationary shot to get into the consciousness of an attention-deficit audience
Started out: Writing treatments for directors