Rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P have filed a lawsuit against Post Foods and Walmart, claiming that the companies deliberately kept their cereal off store shelves and concealed in stockrooms in an effort to sabotage the product. Calvin Broadus, also known as Snoop Dogg, and Percy Miller, known as Master P, refused an offer by Post Foods to purchase the cereal outright, as stated in the lawsuit filed in Minnesota’s Dakota County on Tuesday. After eventually reaching an agreement in 2022, Post did not treat Snoop Cereal equally as its own brand, despite the product’s success when placed on store shelves, according to the lawsuit. The rappers established Broadus Foods in 2022 with the goal of inspiring and creating opportunities for minority-owned food products. Snoop Cereal is a major product under Broadus Foods, available in flavors such as “Fruity Hoops with Marshmallows”, “Frosted Drizzlers” and “Cinnamon Toasteez”.Snoop Dogg and Master P approached Post Consumer Brands, referred to as a “breakfast juggernaut” in the lawsuit, in an attempt to secure a partnership. They aimed to have Snoop Cereal placed in stores where Post cereals were sold, according to the lawsuit.After initial discussions with Post, the company initially sought to purchase Snoop Cereal outright, an offer that was turned down by Snoop Dogg and Master P because it would conflict with their company’s mission to promote minority-owned businesses, as per the suit. Accepting the offer would also prevent the artists from passing the company to their families as a legacy business, the lawsuit stated.On December 13, 2022, Broadus Foods signed a contract with Post to take over all aspects of Snoop Cereal production, including manufacturing, packaging, retail, sales, distribution, and transportation, as outlined in the lawsuit. As part of the agreement, Broadus Foods and Post were to split profits, and Post agreed to “treat Snoop Cereal as one of its own brands and distribute it to major retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon.”The lawsuit claimed that despite Walmart being the largest seller of Post’s products, Snoop Cereal was not placed on Walmart’s shelves alongside other Post branded cereals. According to the lawsuit, “Unbeknownst to Broadus Foods, Post was not on board with their goals and dreams and had no intention of treating Snoop Cereal equally as its own brand.”“Essentially, because Snoop Dogg and Master P refused to sell Snoop Cereal in totality, Post entered a false arrangement where they could choke Broadus Foods out of the market, thereby preventing Snoop Cereal from being sold or produced by any competitor,” the suit said.Once placed on shelves, Snoop Cereal was popular and sold well, the lawsuit stated. However, the products were swiftly removed from the shelves, leaving customers wondering where to find them. According to the lawsuit, shelf-placement is crucial for cereal sales, and both Post and Walmart were aware of this. The suit provided several instances of disappointed consumers looking for Snoop Cereal in stores, being informed that there were none available, only to later find the cereal in stockrooms. In one cited example, 200 boxes of Snoop Cereal were held in a Walmart stockroom in New Berlin, Wisconsin, without being placed on the cereal aisle.“In November and December 2023, Walmart stores consistently showed that they did not have Snoop Cereal in stock and online showed that it could not be purchased,” the lawsuit explained. “The Walmart store managers told customers that they did not have any Snoop Cereal in their store.”The lawsuit alleges that Walmart is responsible for coding each box for shelf placement and can also designate cereal as “no location,” resulting in it remaining in the stockroom. According to the suit, after sitting in the stockroom for months, boxes are either discarded or sold at significant discounts. The lawsuit includes multiple claims such as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, collusion, and conspiracy.Post Consumer Brands did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. However, the company stated to NBC Los Angeles that it “was excited to partner with Broadus Foods and we made substantial investments in the business. We were equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations.”Walmart also released a statement, expressing its commitment to supplier relationships and acknowledging that various factors, including consumer demand and seasonality, impact product sales. “We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint,” the company added.Master P emphasized during a media briefing announcing the lawsuit that it is “about minority-owned companies getting a fair share.”“We ain’t build this brand to sell it,” Snoop Dogg added. The rappers are represented by high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump and are seeking a jury trial and damages exceeding $50,000, covering the cost of the lawsuit, attorney fees, and “further relief determined by the Court.”Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.Antonio PlanasAntonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
