American rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P have filed a lawsuit against supermarket giant Walmart and a food manufacturer for sabotaging their cereal brand.
A lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Walmart and Post Consumer Brands of hiding boxes of Snoop cereal and incorrectly saying they were out of stock.
Attorney Benjamin Crump called it a “blatant disregard” for a black-owned business.
In their statements, the two companies indicate a decline in product sales.
Walmart said it has a “strong history of supporting entrepreneurs” and that “many factors impact sales of any given product.”
Meanwhile, Post said, “We were also disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations.”
Snoop Dogg and Master Bee founded their own food company, Produce Foods, in 2022. According to its website, it produces breakfast cereals, pancake mix, maple syrup, and more.
According to the complaint reported by US media, Post attempted to “strangle Produs Foods out of the market” because the rappers refused to sell their startup to the manufacturer.
But they agreed to a partnership under which Post would produce the products and distribute them to major retailers.
Mr. Crump is one of America's most prominent civil rights attorneys Posted a video online“They didn't put the pills in the aisles, they kept them in the back of the warehouse,” he said.
The lawsuit alleges that Walmart and Post Consumer Brands “guaranteed that Snoop Cereal would not be available to consumers” or that Broadus Foods “would incur excessive costs that would eliminate any profit.”
“The Post essentially worked with Walmart to ensure that none of the Snoop Cereal boxes appeared on store shelves.”
In the footage, anonymous Walmart employees at several stores are asked if they sell the pills, and when they search Walmart's system, they say the product is out of stock.
They then apparently discovered unopened shipments of Snoop Cereal in storage.
Post Consumer Brands also said in its statement that it is “excited to partner with Broadus Foods” and said it has made “significant investments” in the business.
Walmart said it will “respond appropriately to the court” once it sees the full complaint.