Entertainment

Snoop Dogg Sues Beer-Maker Pabst Over Sale Profits

Published

11 years ago

June 9, 2015

In this March 14, 2015 file photo, Snoop Dogg speaks at the Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif. Snoop Dogg filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Pabst Brewing Co., in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, June 8, 2015, seeking 10 percent of the price paid to the company last year for its Colt 45 malt beer operations. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg sued Pabst Brewing Co. on Monday, claiming the beer-maker owes him a portion of its proceeds from the company’s sale last year.

The breach-of-contract lawsuit seeks 10 percent of the net sales price paid to Pabst for its Colt 45 malt beer line, which was included in last year’s sale to beer entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and an investment firm.

Snoop Dogg signed a three-year agreement in 2011 to endorse Colt 45’s fruit-flavored beer called Blast by Colt 45. The lawsuit states his contract called for him to receive a portion of the sale price if Pabst sold its Colt 45 operations before January 2016.

His contract also called on the rapper to consult with Colt 45’s marketing team at least once a year on how he could integrate Blast by Colt 45 into his concerts, interviews and social media posts. Snoop Dogg received an upfront payment of $250,000 and an additional $20,000 for every 10th mention of the beer on social media, TV or during a concert.

The contract also called for the rapper to receive a royalty on each case of Blast by Colt 45 that was sold.

Pabst wrote in a statement that it had not been contacted by Snoop Dogg or his representatives about the proceeds and cited the company’s new management.

“We are investigating the matter and would be happy to talk to Snoop or his representatives to try to get to the bottom of this,” the statement said.

The lawsuit states Pabst told the rapper that the sale didn’t trigger the clause entitling him to sale proceeds.

The deal to sell Pabst to Kashper and San Francisco-based TSG Consumer Partners LLC was finalized in November. No purchase price was announced, but the lawsuit filed by the rapper’s attorney, Alex Weingarten, states Pabst was reportedly sold for $700 million. It is unclear how much of the sale price was for the Colt 45 line of beers.

In addition to Colt 45 and its namesake beer, Pabst Brewing Co. makes Old Milwaukee and Schlitz.

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Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP.

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This story has been corrected to show that Pabst Brewing Co. was acquired by beer entrepreneur Eugene Kashper and an investment firm, not Oasis Beverages.