Snoop Dogg and Master P said last week they have been blocked from calling their cereal Snoop Loopz.
Without mentioning the company, the rappers wrote in an Instagram post “they don’t want us to use Snoop Loopz on our cereal box.”
Kellogg’s has owned the Fruit Loops trademark for decades. The company, which has not commented publicly on the cereal, has not confirmed that it took action to protect its trademark.
In a video message, Master P implied racism was in play. He said “these big companies and all these big old brands” are not used to seeing “African American owners of cereal.”
He added: “It’s been happening for over 100 years. We just trying to add some diversity into the stores.”
Snoop said it was “a minor setback for a major comeback” and asked fans to suggest a new name.
Broadus Foods
The sweet cereal was unveiled this past summer by Broadus Foods, a company founded by Snoop (whose real name is Calvin Broadus) and headed by Master P (aka Percy Miller) that supports charities like Door of Hope. Available at U.S. retailers, Snoop Loopz joined a line of products that already included Momma Snoop pancake mix, syrup, oatmeal and grits.
“We’ve built a national brand and disrupted the cereal industry,” Snoop said in the caption on last week’s video message. “We did it with hard work and integrity. I know they’re uncomfortable and scared. But our mission is to build diversity and economic empowerment. Times have changed. There’s enough room for all of us to be successful.”