Episode 215 Cleen Rock One Radio Edit artwork
Passion Pod

Episode 215 Cleen Rock One Radio Edit

  • S1E215
  • 1:15:19
  • May 29th 2026

Tattoo icon and Ink Master fan-favorite Clean Rock One joins The Passion Pod live from the Minneapolis Arts Tattoo Festival. Clean breaks down the real story behind his name, his early days in graffiti, getting arrested, and how tattooing became his career.

We also go deep on what Ink Master is actually like: auditions and casting, the realities of filming and critiques, contestant pay, producer strategy, and why “just doing good tattoos” isn’t enough for reality TV. Clean shares his favorite and least favorite Ink Master tattoos, what the show gets wrong about artistry, and how TV fame changed the clients—and expectations—he gets in the real world.

Plus, Clean talks about selling Golden Skull Tattoo in Las Vegas (and passing it to his son) and building the Chrome Gypsy Compound in Kewanee, Illinois—a former school turned into a tattoo shop, bar, arcade, and event space he’s transforming into a must-see art destination.

Guest: Clean Rock One

Host: Chris Johnson (The Passion Pod)

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Passion Pod

Hosted by Chris Johnson the Passion Pod is an inspirational storytelling experience featuring unique guests that are also pursuing their passions. The goal is to inspire the listener to think about think about their own passions and to help them find more ways to incorporate those passions into their lives.

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