Master P and Snoop Dogg believe Walmart And Post Foods are stifling the success of their cereal venture.
In a press conference held on Feb. 6, it was revealed the rappers-turned-businessmen have filed a lawsuit as a result of their belief that the “industry giants” allegedly colluded to impact Broadus Foods’ Snoop Cereal’s visibility on store shelves, a press release mentions. Several alleged grievances were mentioned including a breach of the implied covenant of good faith dealing, breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, collusion and conspiracy, and aiding and abetting an infringement, among others.
During the conference, a video displayed interested customers looking to purchase Snoop Cereal in Walmart stores. While navigating the cereal aisle, one customer who visited a Walmart in Long Beach, CA, Snoop Dogg’s hometown, discovered the brand was allegedly missing from the store shelves. Other snippets displayed customers with a similar discovery. After further questioning, a grocery employee at the Long Beach location stated they were out of stock. Another Walmart location had allegedly stored the product in the back room, not allowing store associates to pick it up and move it to store shelves.
“It has no location,” an employee in the video mentioned, per reports.
In response to the videos and the alleged misconduct of their business deal, Master P stated during the press conference, “The injustice part comes from the lack of the opportunity, that was never given, to be successful. So we just saying we know that our product tastes great. We know that we can compete with any other products and brands, but when you hide something or hold it back or keep it in the back of the shelf, where do we get an opportunity?”
Broadus Foods Press Conference https://t.co/jQmJrCa8H1
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) February 6, 2024
Snoop Dogg commented, “We coming back together to formulate a business to empower the youth, to show them how to do it, how you don’t have to have beef, violence, negativity, just create some products. All the products that aren’t mine that I don’t own are all in the front, easy to see, accessible, easy to buy, easy to find. It ain’t fair to me because I’m doing great business, and what me and P are trying to do is give an example, and if they ruin us, then there’s no way for an example.”
Another announcement states that Broadus Foods is allegedly being charged to buy back unsold store products. Attorney Ben Crump describes this action as an “insult on top of injury.”
“Where it makes this corporate behavior especially cynical, according to the contract that Master P and Snoop entered into with Post and Walmart, Snoop’s company, Broadus Food, had to buy back the unsold product. If you give the product to the store and the product doesn’t sell, then you have a chargeback. And so even though they never put Snoop cereals on the shelf, they are still trying to charge Master P and Snoop a chargeback. You talking about insult on top of injury,” expressed Crump during the conference.
At this time, a monetary demand has not been disclosed, but Crump assures that the “damages are real.”
Despite the concern, Master P expresses interest in continuing business with the retail corporation. However, he wants to ensure they receive an equal opportunity, similar to their competitors. He suggests their presence as the first Black-owned cereal company with a national distribution deal could be a threat, and they are looking to put up a fight not only for the brand and culture, but for the next generation of entrepreneurs looking to take up space on store shelves.
“I want people to remember me for disrupting the product in corporate America,” Master P explained. “Because the injustice is that we don’t have a fighting chance when we get out here. We get up every morning. I done sit in all these small corporate rooms with salespeople. I had to be able to bite my tongue… Today, we’re gonna educate the culture that don’t be afraid. We are going to go out like David and Goliath. We are not saying that we can’t do business with them. We just saying we want a fair shot and a fair chance.”
