Hard GZ returns to his roots with LACOSTA II

Hard GZ closes the year by returning to where everything began. The Galician rapper releases LACOSTA II, his fifth studio album. He doesn’t present it as just another record, but as a direct reflection of his people, his surroundings and the coast that watched him grow up. “An honest portrait of the people around me and the territory that has made me who I am,” the artist explains.

The project had already revealed its intimate tone with Asturiana, a first single dedicated to his partner, a track that set the sensitivity running through the entire album. From there, Hard GZ expands that feeling into a work that looks back at his roots as a way of life. It is his route back to the essence — to the everyday reality that shaped both his character and his music.

The coast as a horizon

In LACOSTA II, the Galician coast is not a postcard image but the emotional and social core of the album. Aldán, Povisa, Domaio, Bueu and the Ría appear as the backdrop for the stories that shape his lyrics, from the harsh lives of local fishermen to the need to keep going, and the constant search for reasons not to give up.

“It speaks about my people, my family and what it means to come from the Galician coast,” Hard GZ says. In tracks like LACOSTA II, produced by Tan Brownie, he captures the rawness of the environment that surrounds him: “Everything they earn working hard, they spend at the weekend / many give up, but others keep fighting.” His writing blends Spanish and Galician naturally — “non chega a diluviar, pero vai como un orballo” — reinforcing the identity that runs through the project as its backbone.

Chronicle of his neighbourhood

Rather than placing himself at the centre of the story, Hard GZ takes on the role of chronicler. The voices of his neighbourhood, his friends and his family run through the entire album. He simply organises that collective memory and turns it into songs that work as social documents. This sincerity aligns with the traits he’s known for: direct, combative rap committed to the realities he portrays.

A sonically diverse album

Musically, LACOSTA II embraces a wide range of textures. The urban rawness of Manteca, featuring fellow Galician artist Dirty Suc, coexists with more melodic and acoustic cuts such as Te quiero tanto, in collaboration with Kelly Fara. The production — handled by Nudo, Tan Brownie, Tony Anzis and Marcelus Airlinez — sustains this journey between grit and sensitivity without losing cohesion.

An open future

Pedro Ruibal, the name behind Hard GZ, has spent years building his own voice within Spanish hip hop. His ability to narrate street life, working-class realities and neighbourhood dynamics has made him one of the key figures in today’s scene. Recent milestones include filling the WiZink Centre in 2025 and composing Voltarei, the anthem marking RC Celta’s return to European competitions.

With LACOSTA II, Hard GZ is not seeking reinvention but reaffirmation. It marks a return to the starting point, but from a more mature and conscious perspective. A move that speaks both of the artist and of the territory that shaped him — one he will clearly never leave behind.

HARD GZ releases “Asturiana”, the first preview of LACOSTA II.