La Mano 1.9 and PLK Join Forces on “How Much”

La Mano 1.9 comes from the 19th arrondissement of Paris, an area of the French capital that has been deeply affected by gentrification. The Belleville of the 1980s bears little resemblance to the cosmopolitan and trendy neighborhood it has become today, now seen by many as a hotspot for restaurants and urban culture. Still considered a rookie not so long ago, La Mano 1.9 has since entered a completely different league. The rapper has become one of French rap’s favorite collaborators, stacking up features over the past few years with artists including Niska, Gazo, Tiakola, Gims and SCH. It was with “Parisienne”, alongside Gims, that he truly reached new heights, earning a diamond certification.

But that is far from the only trophy that could sit in his Hall of Fame. “Sexy Woman” and “I’m Sorry” have also gone diamond. While his first project, “R.A.T”, moved only around 8,000 units in its first week, La Mano 1.9 is above all a streaming-driven artist. The project has generated more than 300 million streams. Today, La Mano 1.9 has become a heavyweight in French rap. Yet despite his strongly street-rooted DNA, the rapper has increasingly allowed himself to explore more “accessible” records, particularly melodic tracks. In an interview with Konbini, he explained that his time in prison pushed him to rethink his music and leave more room for a different kind of musicality:

“No, not directly. When I got locked up for the second time, I had already released my first three solo videos. I didn’t even have time to build any real momentum before I ended up back in prison and got hit with a heavy sentence. My manager was cursing me out, my producer didn’t want anything to do with me anymore. It was really complicated. I could see on TikTok that the 19th was blowing up, and it made me seriously question myself. I thought: ‘Either I get out of prison and tear everything up, or I’m simply going to spend my life in prison.’ Obviously, I didn’t want that, you know, but for me it felt like it was one or the other.

And that’s when, while I was in prison, I really started focusing on my music. I kept asking myself: ‘What can I do? What can I bring to my music that I don’t already have? What can I do to take this whole thing to the next level?’”

That artistic evolution has gone hand in hand with his rise to another level, and he is now preparing to perform at the Accor Arena on May 7, 2027.

For his return, the artist chose to team up with PLK. Signed to Panenka Music and formerly a member of Panama Bende, the rapper is undoubtedly one of the most commercially powerful artists in French rap today. His latest project, “Grand Garçon”, moved close to 80,000 units in its first week before eventually earning a double platinum certification. Yet for this collaboration, La Mano 1.9 and PLK chose to return to something unapologetically rap and street-oriented, despite both artists having significantly broadened their musical range in recent years. The track is called “How Much”.

La Mano 1.9 and PLK join forces on “How Much”, a track rooted firmly in the streets!

The track’s instrumental production comes courtesy of Tysko and Adavity. Tysko is notably one of the producers behind “Dolce Camara” by Booba, a track that enjoyed a second life following PSG’s Champions League triumph, particularly after it was shared by Désiré Doué. The producer has also worked with 2 Mètres, notably on “A R” and “By Night”, the latter featuring Yoko. His reputation is already well established. He also produced “Malabar” by Yorssy, featuring Guy2Bezbar.

Adavity, meanwhile, has worked extensively with Jane and a number of other artists. On “How Much”, the two producers opt for a relatively minimalist and distinctly street-focused production, leaving plenty of room for both rappers. La Mano 1.9 and PLK trade gimmicks and punchlines throughout the track. La Mano 1.9 opens his verse:

“I’ve always denied the facts (the facts)
He snitched on his own guy, he’s weak”

PLK delivers his share of punchlines too:

“I’m getting too old to be stopped and searched (yeah)
We never make threats, we make promises (brr)”

The lyric video was created by AgaProd. The director had previously worked on “Question” by Lesram. The result is a particularly polished edit that perfectly matches the track’s dark, street-oriented atmosphere.