American rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P have filed a lawsuit against Walmart and a food manufacturing company, accusing them of sabotaging their cereal brand. The lawsuit accuses Walmart and Post Consumer Brands of hiding boxes of Snoop Cereal and stating that it was out of stock when it was not. Benjamin Crump, the rappers’ lawyer, called it a “blatant disregard” of a black-owned business. In response, both companies pointed to low sales of the product, with Walmart saying it has a “strong history of supporting entrepreneurs”.
According to the complaint, Post Consumer Brands allegedly tried to “choke Broadus Foods out of the market” because Snoop Dogg and Master P refused to sell their upstart company to the manufacturer. The lawsuit claims that Walmart and Post Consumer Brands ensured that Snoop Cereal would not be available to consumers, or that the rappers’ food company would incur exorbitant costs that would eliminate any profit. Master P then posted a video on his Instagram page that purports to show a number of Walmart stores not stocking the product, with unidentified Walmart employees in several stores searching the Walmart system which displayed that the product was out of stock.
Snoop Dogg and Master P are the founders of their own food company, Broadus Foods, which proudly produces breakfast cereals, pancake mix, maple syrup, and more. It seems that the legal battle brought forward by the rappers seeks to shed light on the challenges faced by black-owned businesses in the food industry, particularly in dealing with established corporate entities. This case highlights the complexities of the intersection between celebrity entrepreneurs and the corporate sector, as well as potential obstacles and unfair practices faced by entrepreneurs of color.
