Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with Sknny Mrcls

Years DJing: 17 years playing out, another five in the basement at first.

Genre: Soul, funk, jazzy beats, reggae, hip-hop, bass music and all other good-feeling tunes from the past, present and future.

Where you can catch me regularly: I play at Swift Lounge once a week. It's been my home base for some time now: first and fourth Saturdays, second and third Thursdays.

Craziest gig: I was asked to cover a DJ gig for a buddy, which was a roller derby after-party. I got there and was told by the person behind the bar to set up in another room. It seemed a little strange because there were model walkways all around and [it was] a little removed from the bar area. Just minutes after I dropped the needle on the first record, I looked up and saw four real tan dudes wearing just bikinis staring at me and telling me I better play good house music that they could dance to. Within 10 minutes, I realized that this after-party venue was also a split room with a male strip club. I tried to make the best of it and play some sexy songs for them, but the dancers and manager continued to come up upset at me because I was not playing fast-enough music. Within 20 minutes of playing and getting everyone upset at me, I was cut a check and I pulled my records and packed up.

My go-to records: I always keep one or two Roy Ayers records in my crates. DJ Vadim is usually in there as well. And a good 12-inch of Leon Haywood's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You."

Don't ever ask me to play…: Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy." It's a great song, of course, but if I had a nickel for every time I've been asked that…

NEXT GIG: Sknny Mrcls spins at Swift Lounge, 1932 NE Broadway, on Saturday, Feb. 25.