Why Ice Cube And Snoop Dogg Are Being Deposed In A Lawsuit (Even Though They Don’t Want It)

Back in November 2024, a $1.3 million lawsuit was filed that named high-profile rappers Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg as defendants, tying back to the formation of their supergroup Mount Westmore, which released a Mandalorian-inspired music video some years back. Not much movement has been made on the case, with both musicians attempting to avoid showing up in court for an in-person deposition. But the latest update on the case is a setback for the duo on the front, as a judge formally denied the request, meaning they will likely be required to appear.

Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube’s legal teams filed court documents back in August requesting a judge to side with their argument that they did not need to be present for a planned October deposition in relation to the lawsuit filed against them by the company Westside Merchandise. At the time, the currently winless Voice coach claimed to be unavailable until October 21, as he was shooting a movie, while the Friday franchise vet and championer claimed to be busy working with his Big3 basketball league while also preparing to go on tour. The request also included the stipulation that both would be willing to appear on camera for a virtual deposition, but only if it was under two hours in length.

In response to that paperwork, Westside Merchandise submitted its own documents requesting for the judge to toss out the rappers’ requests, arguing that its execs had been cooperative throughout the process with the Grammy winners’ legal teams, despite all attempts to schedule the meeting being thwarted. That filing also pleaded with the judge to demand the defendants pay upwards of $11,000 in legal fees for delaying the case’s outcome.

The Los Angeles Superior Court judge didn’t appear to lay down a ruling for that inquiry just yet, but did pass judgment on the deposition-avoiding paperwork, according to US Weekly, claiming the rappers did not successfully argue the point that they lacked the relevant knowledge about the deal with Westside. The judge specifically pointed to the fact that both Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube were “actual signatories” regarding the contract signed back in 2022 when the collaboration deal was first discussed.

Why Westside Merchandising Is Suing Ice Cube And Snoop Dogg

Back in 2022, Cube and Snoop teamed up with fellow marquee rhymers E-40 and Too Short to form Mount Westmore, and amidst the singles and videos that were released, conversations were had about a world tour. Enter Westside, whose attorneys say they contacted the rappers about becoming the exclusive vendor for the group's merch.

The company allegedly provided $1.3 million in advances, with the belief that the group would be headlining a 60-stop tour across the U.S. and Europe, and that tour merch would be sold at every performance. The agreement also reportedly included the assurance that both Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube would agree to make a public appearance at a retail location of Westside's choosing, and that the group would publicly acknowledge the partnership.

Cut to 2025, and Westside claims Mount Westmore only performaned at a "mere three concerts" throughout 2022, and did not perform live at all during 2023 or 2024. The company claims its attempts to recoup its $1.3 million were refused, with all members of the rap group denying any wrongdoing. Too Short and E-40 addressed not being active parties in the contractual agreement, which perhaps indicates why they're not named as defendants.

The rappers' lawyers released the following statement:

It's another less-than-positive turnout for Ice Cube, who co-starred in one of 2025's biggest film disasters, the 0%-earning War of the Worlds, and then tried explaining where it all went wrong. Snoop, meanwhile, is set to return to his bi-annual gig of covering the Olympics for NBCU, assuming this lawsuit doesn't cause any hiccups on that front.