Lawrence “Laurie” Broderick, the former lawyer and Member of Parliament who died on September 4, also dabbled in entertainment. He was an executive producer of the 1995 movie, Kla$h, which starred Jasmine Guy and Giancarlo Esposito.

Along with fellow Jamaican businessman Y P Seaton, Broderick invested in the independent film which was meant to cash in on the popularity of dancehall music in the United States.

It had cameos by deejays Mad Cobra and Snow, two of the genre’s hottest acts, as well as key roles by Paul Campbell, Cedella Marley, Lucien Chen, and Carl Bradshaw. Kla$h was co-produced by American Carolyn Pfeiffer, who had success in a similar role with Dancehall Queen and Third World Cop.

Directed by Bill Parker, the movie had a short run in Jamaican theatres and was a massive flop. In a 2003 interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash, Broderick said investors lost heavily even though Kla$h eventually made it to cable television.

“It just didn’t get off the ground. To be honest, it wasn’t a very good movie,” he said.

Broderick was from a prominent family with roots in Clarendon politics. He was the son of former People’s National Party Member of Parliament (MP) Percival Broderick Senior, who represented the North East Clarendon constituency.

His older brother was Percival Broderick Jnr, former minister of agriculture and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament for North Central Clarendon from 1972 to 1989.

Laurie Broderick was JLP MP for North Clarendon from 2007-2011. A former Sunlight Cup cricketer for Jamaica College and Jamaica tennis player, Broderick also helped promote The Harder They Come in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland in the early 1970s.