American rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P are taking legal action against Walmart and a food manufacturing company, accusing them of sabotaging their successful cereal brand. The lawsuit alleges that Walmart and Post Consumer Brands concealed boxes of Snoop Cereal and falsely claimed it was out of stock in an effort to prevent the product from reaching consumers. This is a significant blow to Snoop Dogg and Master P, who founded their own food company, Broadus Foods, in 2022, and have faced unfair treatment in the food industry despite their successful entrepreneurial endeavors.
According to the complaint, Post Consumer Brands attempted to undermine Broadus Foods’ success by deliberately impeding the distribution of Snoop Cereal and causing the company to incur unnecessary costs. The lawsuit claims that Walmart and Post Consumer Brands worked together to ensure that the cereal would not be available to consumers, an allegation backed up by video footage showing Walmart employees stating that the product was out of stock, only to later discover unopened shipments of Snoop Cereal in the storeroom. Both companies have disputed these claims, attributing the lack of consumer demand to the product’s low sales.
This legal battle underscores the challenges faced by Black-owned businesses in the food industry and raises important questions about the treatment of entrepreneurs of color by major retailers. The outcome of this case has the potential to set an important precedent for the protection of small, minority-owned businesses in the marketplace and could lead to greater accountability among large corporations in their dealings with independent suppliers.
