Rapper Snoop Dogg, along with cofounder Percy “Master P” Miller, has filed a lawsuit against Walmart and Post Foods, accusing them of sabotaging their cereal brand, Snoop Cereal. They claim the companies intentionally hid the product in storage rooms of Walmart stores, preventing it from being stocked on shelves.
The lawsuit filed by the rapper, whose legal name is Calvin Broadus, and his Broadus Foods cofounder Miller, alleges this action was aimed at choking out their brand. According to them, Walmart intentionally kept their cereal brand “in the stockrooms of Walmart stores, marked with ‘no location’ coding, preventing them from being placed on the store shelves.”
They assert they initially partnered with Post Brands to distribute Snoop Cereal in major retailers such as Target and Kroger. However, they allege that Post Brands hindered the success of Snoop Cereal after they refused to sell the brand outright, according to the New York Post. According to their lawyer, Ben Crump, Post Brands is accused of employing deceptive tactics, particularly at Walmart, to prevent the cereal from reaching consumers.
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The two launched their cereal brand on July 15, 2023, which quickly gained popularity among consumers. However, months later, customers and fans struggled to find the product in stores. The rappers claim that although the cereal appeared to be sold out, Walmart employees discovered boxes of it in stockrooms, marked not to be placed on shelves, where they remained for months, according to the lawsuit.
According to attorney Crump, Post Brands allegedly engaged in a deceptive arrangement with Snoop Dogg and Master P after they refused to sell Snoop Cereal entirely. This arrangement purportedly aimed to choke Broadus Foods out of the market, preventing the cereal from being sold or produced by competitors.
The lawsuit states that the brand, established in 2022 as one of the first prominent black-owned cereal companies, aimed to promote economic empowerment by diversifying the grocery store industry and creating opportunities for minority-owned food products and brands.
The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota, alleges that Walmart intentionally priced Snoop Cereal at up to $10 per box in stores where it was available, to push Broadus Foods out of the market. The cereal boxes were often placed in the baby section rather than the cereal aisle, according to the suit. Snoop Dogg and Master P accuse the brands of engaging in “diabolical actions” and are seeking monetary damages from Walmart and Post Brands for breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and negligent misrepresentation.
“This underhanded dealing by Defendants cannot be accepted. If Post and Walmart can do this to popular businessmen such as Snoop Dogg and Master P, then they definitely will do it to the mom-and-pop and minority-owned companies who cannot defend themselves,” the lawsuit read.
The company currently sells the cereal on Amazon for $5.99. Walmart responded to Billboard with a vague statement, mentioning its commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and citing various factors affecting product sales.
It stated that it would respond accordingly to the court once served with the complaint. Post Brands has not yet responded to the lawsuit but provided a statement to The Post.
“Post Consumer Brands was excited to partner with Broadus Foods and we made substantial investments in the business,” the company said. “We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations.”
