A TEENAGER who played with his parents' heroin needles as a child instead of toys and found himself spiralling into a drug stupor has cleaned up his act by rapping about his traumatic childhood.

Adam Skidmore, who recently performed in front of top DJ Fatboy Slim, doesn't have to look far for inspiration for his brutally honest lyrics - his mother is an alcoholic and his father is in prison serving a life sentence for murder.

By the age of 13 he was a drugs courier and a career in crime seemed inevitable but now he is aspiring to become a singer and motivate other youngsters including his brother and sister.

“As a child I was handed round like pass the parcel, I’ve lived in 15 foster homes, but if it was not for all that I would have nothing to rap about,” he said.

“My aim is to get myself heard to let other people know it’s not just them going though these difficult situations. I do not feel sorry for myself one bit but I want to show there is a way other than prison or ending up dead,” added the 18-year-old who is now settled with a foster family.

The self-confessed school truant is now studying foundation stage English and maths at the Myplace youth centre in Middlesbrough where he devotes all his spare time to recording music in its purpose-built studios.

In the New Year Adam, who goes under the name of DJ Carta,  is making a music video for MTV to showcase his freestyle raps which shun the usual topics of violence and misogyny in favour of raw emotion.

Last week he sang in front of a crowd including international DJ, Fatboy Slim, otherwise known as Norman Cook, when he visited Myplace to encourage local youngsters to volunteer abroad in poverty-stricken countries.

“Fatboy Slim told me that I had potential so I really need someone to listen to me and help me find places where I can perform.

“I’m not expecting to be famous but I want to make people think “he went to hell and back and look how far he has come”.”