(KTLA) — Snoop Dogg and Master P are suing Walmart and Post Foods, accusing the companies of conspiring against their breakfast cereal brand.
A lawsuit filed by Broadus Foods LLC claims the retail giant and breakfast food manufacturer used deceptive practices to sabotage their brand’s breakfast cereal, Snoop Cereal.
Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, and Master P, whose real name is Percy Miller Sr., both founded Broadus Foods LLC. National civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump is representing the brand in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Post Foods and Walmart prevented the cereal from being easily reachable to customers, “despite its popularity among consumers,” a press release from Crump’s office explained.
“Broadus Foods contends that boxes of Snoop Cereal were intentionally kept in the stockrooms of Walmart stores, marked with ‘no location’ coding, preventing them from being placed on the store shelves.”
The lawsuit claims that in some stores, the cereal was placed away from the cereal aisle in the baby section or clearance areas and was “heavily discounted.”
The complaint claims these actions were “deliberate” and were directed by Post Foods and Walmart’s corporate headquarters. In the end, these moves allegedly prevented Broadus Foods from the “expected profits and compensation from the sale of Snoop Cereal.”
Crump also claimed Walmart charged the two men a “charge-back” fee for unsold products.
“This case shines a light on the steep challenges faced by minority-owned businesses in securing fair opportunities in the marketplace,” said Crump. “The actions by Post Foods and Walmart demonstrate cynical disregard and exploitation of minority entrepreneurs in the business world. If this is how celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Master P are treated by corporate America, just imagine how lesser-known Black entrepreneurs and small business owners are treated by powerful corporations.”
In 2022, both rappers-turned-entrepreneurs established Broadus Foods “with a vision of creating a family-owned company that adds diversity to the food industry and provides opportunities for minority-owned food products and brands,” a statement explained.
The company launched two main brands, Snoop Cereal and Momma Snoop.
Their mission: to offer high-quality and affordable breakfast foods while also providing economic empowerment to minorities and giving back to the community.
“We talk about the Black community, Latino community, a lot of these crimes are committed because there’s no economic empowerment. That’s why we’re saying let’s put some diversity on these grocery store shelves,” Master P told Nexstar’s KTLA while promoting the brand in 2023. “Now we’ll be able to give people jobs, be able to help kids. We could do things and make a difference.”
A portion of the cereals’ proceeds go to Door Hope, which helps tackle homelessness.
Walmart issued a statement saying that it values its relationships with its suppliers and touted its “strong history of supporting entrepreneurs.”
However, “many factors affect the sales of any given product, including consumer demand, seasonality, and price to name a few,” the statement continued. “We will respond as appropriate with the court once we are served with the complaint.”
Post Consumer Brands told KTLA that the brand “was excited to partner with Broadus Foods” and “made substantial investments in the business.”‘
“We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations,” the statement continued.
The lawsuit is looking to “hold Post Foods and Walmart accountable for their alleged deceptive practices and aims to preserve the goals of Snoop Dogg and Master P in creating a legacy for their families, promoting diversity in the food industry, and giving back to the community.”
Broadus Foods is seeking damages for alleged “deceptive trade practices.”
