Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube are facing a $1.3 million fraud lawsuit from Westside Merchandise, alleging the rappers failed to honor contractual obligations with their Mount Westmore supergroup. Formed in 2020, Mount Westmore is composed of California-based rappers Snoop Dogg, E-40, Too Short, and Ice Cube. Both artists have denied any wrongdoing and are pushing back against attempts to depose them in the case.
Court documents show that in August, Snoop Dogg, 53, and Ice Cube, 56, asked a judge to excuse them from a deposition scheduled for October. Their lawyers argued that the request was “harassing, oppressive, and burdensome” and that the rappers had nothing “substantive” to add to the proceedings. The duo proposed that Westside Merchandise could speak with their associate Tony Draper instead, but the company has refused until Snoop and Ice Cube sit for depositions.
Inside the Lawsuit
The rappers requested permission to testify virtually with a two-hour limit. At the time, Snoop was filming a movie and unavailable until Oct. 21, while Ice Cube was in Florida managing his BIG3 basketball league and preparing for an upcoming tour.
Westside Merchandise filed court documents in September opposing the request, claiming they had been “extremely cooperative” with the rappers’ legal team in trying to schedule depositions. The company also asked the court to sanction Snoop and Ice Cube, seeking $11,000 in fees for delaying the case. No ruling has been made yet.
The dispute dates back to November 2024, when Westside Merchandise sued Snoop, Ice Cube, E-40, Too Short, and Mount Westmore LLC for breach of contract, fraud, and conversion. Mount Westmore, which includes all the named musicians, released its debut album in 2022. Westside claims it was named the exclusive merchandise vendor for the group and advanced $1.375 million in royalties based on promises of a 60-date U.S. and European tour, promotional videos, and appearances to market the merchandise.
According to Westside, the tour never materialized, and the promotional obligations were not met. The company seeks the return of the $1.375 million advance plus punitive damages.
Snoop, Ice Cube, and the other defendants have argued that the company lacks evidence to substantiate some claims, and E-40 and Too Short maintain they were not parties to the original agreement. Their lawyer, Frank Seddigh, maintains that the group has conducted business in good faith, and multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably have been ignored.
Meanwhile, Westside’s attorney, John Fowler, claims the defendants are avoiding depositions to evade answering questions about the alleged fraud.
