Jon-Michael Salter says he is a "flower that grew from dirt."

The local musician - known in the world of hip-hop music as Jon Salt - is a military brat who was born in Belgium and raised mostly in Maui, Hawaii. Growing up in "a really tough area," Salt says he "made mistakes." He ran with the wrong crowd, had his share of scrapes with the law and, by his own admission, lived a life of mediocrity.

One saving grace for Salt has been his music. He grew up around the hip-hop genre and competed in his first freestyle competition at age 12.  Citing Jimmy Lovene from Interscope Records, Tupac Shakur and Eminem as inspirations, the father of three, 29, said he one day hopes "to be a household name without you being able to notice me."

Being an active-duty Soldier for the last seven years (most of it stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord) has not put a damper on that dream.

While serving, Salt has continued to perform when his schedule has allowed. He was named 2001-2003 Hawaii State B-Boy of the Year and Four Corner B-Boy of the Year and performed at the 2006 Washington Freestyle Cypher and Performance at Club 131 in Seattle. He also performed for the troops in 2008 at Club Tel Afar, Iraq while he was deployed there as a cook with the 4/6 Air Cavalry.

In addition to his performances, Salt kept his pulse on the hip-hop scene, worked on a demo tape and eventually recorded a debut album, "Problem," in 2009. An EP, "Failure to Adapt," followed in 2010 and his song "Champion" will be featured in an upcoming national Nike commercial.

Salt cites Mos Def, Norah Jones, the Goo Goo Dolls, Tom Petty and Michael Jackson as some of his musical influences. He writes his own music and lyrics and collaborates with his team of musicians, many of whom are still active-duty Soldiers.  "(He) tells a story well and he would be the product of Kanye West and Eminem having a baby," said Big Will Rosario, DJ of the rap group Slaughter House, of Salt's musical style.  

But it's not just about his own art, Salt said. It's about finding and fostering other young hip-hop artists as well. He's currently working with five musicians and is "always looking for talent ... God blessed me with an ear to hear potential," he said. "My biggest thing is to be an artist developer."

Currently, Salt is working with producer DJ Duwayne Phinnisey - also a military brat - at Remedy Recording in Tacoma. They have been working together for the better part of a year, and Salt hopes to put out a full-length album early this summer.

Though he is proud of his military career, the music beckons. So Salt is set to ETS later this year and is preparing to take on his burgeoning musical career head-on.

For more information, visit www.jonsaltmusic.com or visit his Facebook page.