Snoop Dogg and Master P Sue Walmart and Post for Allegedly Keeping Their Cereal Off Shelves

Master P said that the suit is "about minority-owned companies getting a fair share."

Snoop Dogg and Master P's Broadus Foods is suing Walmart and Post Foods, alleging that the companies "collaborated to prevent" their flagship Snoop Cereal "from reaching consumers."

A new complaint filed Tuesday alleges that Post "had no intention of treating" their cereal equal to its own brands after an agreement with the rappers' company. It also alleges that Walmart — where the cereal was launched in July 2023 — had left boxes of the cereal in "stockrooms for months without ever being made available to customers." Snoop (real name Calvin Broadus) and Master P (Percy Miller) are being represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

“This case shines a light on the steep challenges faced by minority-owned businesses in securing fair opportunities in the marketplace,” Crump said in a release. “The actions by Post Foods and Walmart demonstrate cynical disregard and exploitation of minority entrepreneurs in the business world. If this is how celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Master P are treated by corporate America, just imagine how lesser known Black entrepreneurs and small business owners are treated by powerful corporations.”

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In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, a spokesperson for Walmart shared that the company "values our relationships with our suppliers, and we have a strong history of supporting entrepreneurs."

"Many factors affect the sales of any given product, including consumer demand, seasonality, and price to name a few," the spokesperson said. "We will respond as appropriate with the Court once we are served with the complaint."

Post told PEOPLE that the company "was excited to partner with Broadus Foods and we made substantial investments in the business" and that it was "equally disappointed that consumer demand did not meet expectations."

As the lawsuit states, Snoop and Master P's Broadus Foods was established in 2022 as a company offering food that's "affordable for all families" with its two main brands, Snoop Cereal and Momma Snoop.

The musicians eventually approached Post in an effort to "get Snoop Cereal on retail floors" and entered into an agreement without selling the brand, per the suit. Post agreed to split profits with Broadus under a Partnership and Promotion Agreement, in which Post would "produce and distribute" the cereal to multiple retailers, including Target, Walmart and Amazon, per the filing.

Related: Jack White Is Confused by the Amount of Marshmallows in Snoop Dogg's New Cereal: 'Answers Demanded'

The complaint then argues that Snoop Cereal should have been "placed on Walmart's shelves right next to the dozens of other Post branded cereals" and that the the company "was not on board with their goals and dreams and was not on board with treating Snoop Cereal equally as its own brands."

"Essentially, because Snoop and Master P refused to sell Snoop Cereal in totality, Post entered a false agreement where they could choke Broadus Foods out of the market , thereby preventing Snoop Cereal from being sold or produced by any competitor," the filing alleges.

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They allege that despite the cereal being an "immediate success" and receiving positive reviews online, customers at Walmart "could not locate" the product. The complaint claims that Snoop Cereal boxes were being kept in stockrooms and not available to customers despite being listed as sold out, which "automatically resulted in losses to the product."

"The only reason Snoop Cereal would not sell is because Post and Walmart intentionally kept it from reaching the market," the filing reads. "The underhanded dealing by Defendants can not be accepted. If Post and Walmart are able to do this to popular businessmen such as Snoop Dogg and Master P, then they definitely will do it to the mom-and-pop and minority-owned companies who do not have the ability to defend themselves."

Broadus Foods is seeking damages — including lost profits, marketing costs, lost opportunities, and more — of over $50,000 and is requesting a jury trial.

Master P said at a media briefing, per NBC News, that the suit is "about minority-owned companies getting a fair share."

“We ain’t build this brand to sell it," Snoop added.

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