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Nadia Beckford

Nadia Beckford, known professionally as Nadia, was a Jamaican-Dominican vocalist, songwriter, producer, and model from Paterson, New Jersey. Rooted primarily in reggae, her solo and CRATB work also incorporated soul, jazz, R&B, and Caribbean fusion. She and Ezra Cruz had a long on-and-off relationship and raised their son, Raffie, through a later co-parenting partnership; Nadia subsequently married Andrés Báez.

Early Life and Family

Nadia was raised in New Jersey by her Jamaican mother, Nadine Beckford, and Dominican father, Joaquín “Joaco” Peralta. She grew up with her brother Damián and sister Jaz and was familiar with New York City’s music scene while remaining Jersey-raised.

Damián died in 2023 after a violent attack. No motive was identified.

Music Career

Main article: Nadia Beckford (Career and Legacy)

Nadia performed under her first name and maintained a solo career alongside her work with CRATB. Reggae was her first musical love, and her work expanded through soul, jazz, R&B, and Caribbean fusion. She wrote and produced material as well as singing it and maintained strong boundaries around her professional role.

Nadia was already performing in Paterson and New York-area venues during the mid-2020s. She joined CRATB around 2030–2031 after a band audition in which she told the musicians, “I’m not here to sleep with any of you. Just want the gig.”

Her modeling and brand work included partnerships with Loclicious, The Loc God, Taliah Waajid, and The Wrap Life. At approximately seventeen, she publicly criticized Procter & Gamble’s 2023 acquisition of Mielle Organics; Mielle was not one of her later partners.

Cultural Identity and Presentation

Nadia was Jamaican-Dominican and very dark-skinned. She spoke English and Jamaican Patois. She had a medium-height, curvy build and wore her hair in locs, sometimes with headwraps. Her performance identity drew most directly from reggae while also working across the broader genres of her career.

Personal Life

Ezra Cruz and Raffie Cruz

Main article: Ezra Cruz and Nadia Beckford

Main article: Nadia Beckford and Raffie Cruz

Nadia and Ezra’s relationship was passionate, stubborn, and volatile, with repeated separations and reconciliations. She told Ezra about the pregnancy in late 2034. During his January 2035 Berlin overdose and sobriety crisis, Nadia was five months pregnant with Raffie and confronted him about surviving and entering recovery.

Rafael Héctor “Raffie” Cruz was born on June 9, 2035. His birth surname was Cruz; he later used Cruz-Navarro after marrying Elías Navarro. Nadia and Ezra eventually ended their romantic relationship and maintained a co-parenting partnership. Nadia defended Ezra’s consistent presence as Raffie’s father even when their own relationship was strained.

Through Raffie and Elías, Nadia later became the grandmother of Christian Mateo and Sebastian Gabriel Cruz-Navarro.

Andrés Báez

Main article: Nadia Beckford and Andrés Báez

Nadia later married Andrés Báez.

Health and Medical History

Raffie’s birth followed a failed induction and emergency cesarean section. Nadia’s recovery affected the family’s early postpartum period.

Memorable Quotes

“You don’t get to die like him. Not you. Not now.”

—To Ezra during the Berlin overdose and sobriety crisis

Characters Supporting Characters Living Characters Black Characters Mixed Heritage Characters Latinx Characters Dominican Characters Jamaican Characters Musicians Vocalists Producers CRATB Members Beckford Family