Dawn Robinson, a former member of the legendary R&B group En Vogue, just dropped a bombshell, she’s been living out of her car for almost three years. In a raw and emotional moment, she took to social media to let the world know what’s really been going on.
“You guys, for the past three, almost three years, I have been living in my car,” Dawn admitted, finally releasing what she had been holding in.
At one point, she was staying with her parents in Las Vegas, but that situation turned toxic real fast.
“I love my mom, but she became very angry. A lot of her anger she was taking out on me; I was her target all the time, and I was like, ‘I can’t deal with this.’ I respect her too much, so I said let me get out of here.”
A lot of people can relate to this. Family is supposed to be your safe space, but sometimes they’re the hardest people to be around. When you’re already struggling and trying to get back on your feet, being in a stressful home situation can make it even worse. Instead of finding peace, you end up dealing with negativity and feeling like you have no choice but to walk away.
Dawn also mentioned she had been staying with her co-manager, but clearly, that arrangement didn’t last either. Whether it was money, business, or personal drama, something went left, and now she’s been forced to survive on her own.
After hearing about Dawn’s situation, rapper Slim Thug hopped on IG Live to address the bigger issue – artists not owning their masters and getting played by the industry.
“That En Vogue chick living out of her car? Never should she do that, look at the hits she made,” he said, shaking his head. “Off them hits, she should still be getting enough money to pay some rent around this bitch. I get a check every month.”
Slim Thug has always been big on financial independence, and he made it clear that if Dawn had control over her music, she wouldn’t be in this position.
“If them people own their shit, they would be able to pay for something… If you do a deal with a record label, they got five years to eat off that shit and give you your shit back. Right now, it’s like 20 years and there’s a lot of stipulations.”
He’s not lying. Labels have been robbing artists for decades, especially R&B groups from the ’90s. They dangle an advance in front of you, lock you into a contract with crazy stipulations, and before you know it, they own your entire catalog while you’re out here struggling.
Dawn Robinson isn’t the first R&B artist to fall on hard times despite having classic hits. So many singers from her era have spoken about shady contracts that left them broke while their music made millions for the labels.
Back in the day, record labels controlled everything. They owned the masters, publishing, and even artists’ images. A lot of singers signed contracts without realizing they were basically giving their money away.
Unless you had a smart lawyer, you were being deceived. Artists made money from touring, but once the shows stopped, a lot of them were left with nothing.
Master ownership has been a major discussion in the industry, with artists like Prince, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West leading the charge to take back control. Today, streaming and independent distribution has given artists more power, but older artists, especially those from R&B, are still stuck in bad deals that keep them from getting paid what they deserve.
Dawn Robinson’s story is a wake-up call. Just because you had hits doesn’t mean you’re set for life. If you don’t own your music, the industry will leave you with nothing.
Slim Thug’s message is clear. Artists need to own their masters, read their contracts, and stop letting labels control their money.
For someone like Dawn, who helped shape one of the most iconic R&B groups of all time, there’s no reason she should be homeless while her music is still making money. The industry needs to do better, but until then, artists have to make smarter moves to protect their future.
