Highlife musician, Naa Agyeman has criticised Ghanaian highlife artistes for overly infusing their music with Nigerian music.
Although he contends that infusing highlife with foreign music is not bad, the veteran musician wants Ghanaian highlife artistes to produce original highlife songs.
In an interview with Joy Prime’s KMJ on Prime Morning Thursday, the highlife artiste said that successive musicians have done too little in churning out authentic Ghanaian highlife tunes.
This trend, Naa Agyeman said is contributing to the low interest in patronage of Ghanaian highlife music.
The Araba hitmaker is well known in the music industry as one of the few who held on to highlife genre in the early 2000s.
He stated that in this 21st century, Ghanaians have totally imitated the Nigerian way of doing highlife.
“It’s not as if the Nigerian way of doing music is bad but if Ghanaians are adopting it, we should have a feel of highlife in it,” he suggested.
Naa Agyeman says he is disappointed in the kind of highlife music produced in the 21st century.
Although the veteran artiste admits that civilisation has played a key role in the kind of music being produced, he insists that having the original Ghanaian rhythm in every highlife songs will help preserve the unique identity.
“The rhythm and singing of the kids does not help all Ghanaians, it only helps when you go outside the country,” he added.
He further explained the reason for his choice of lyrics in his music as a way of appealing to all age groups.
According to him, he imagines a young lady in front of him when penning his lyrics and also uses happenings around him to craft messages.
He alleged that he was asked to pay for Ghana Music Award, but after he refused to kowtow to the demands, his work was removed from the list of songs up for an award that year.
Naa Agyeman said that the organisers gave an excuse of the song having profane lyrics.
“Music has brought me money even though not all albums generate money, some are used as a stepping stone for some,” the rapper stated.
He says he never regrets doing music because it is God’s gift to him and that music runs in the family.
He revealed in the interview that he will soon release an album in which he collaborated with Kwabena Kwabena and Akwaboa.
Naa Agyeman recently collaborated with Guru on the single titled ‘No Credit’.
The song blends the styles of the two musicians creating a fun ear-catchy song. The duo speak on two topical issues – love and money.
Naa Agyeman has however urged his fellow artistes to invest more in their lyrics and not to put money first when doing music even though money is what they use in producing the music.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/people-walk-in-montreal-right-a-stack-of-canadian-cash.jpg?id=61420869&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Thinking about what it <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/cost-of-living" target="_blank">costs to live in Montreal</a>? Whether you're budgeting your next move, rethinking your spending, or just trying to make peace with your <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-grocery-prices-quebec-stores" target="_blank">grocery bill</a>, it helps to have a clear picture of the essentials (and a few extras).</p><p>Using up-to-date data (as of July 2025), we've crunched the numbers to estimate what a single person needs to live reasonably in the city. This breakdown assumes you're living alone, and not in a luxury condo or a shoebox apartment with four roommates. It includes rent, transportation, food, and some breathing room for going out, staying caffeinated, and occasionally pretending you can afford to party.</p><p>With that in mind, here's where your money goes every month.</p><h3>Rent - $1,690</h3><br/><p>This is, by far, your biggest monthly expense. According to <a href="https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/montreal-qc" target="_blank">Zumper</a>, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Montreal is currently $1,690. That's for a decent place on the island — not necessarily Plateau glam, but definitely livable.</p><p>For context, the median rent across all bedroom counts and property types is $1,808, which is still about 7% lower than the national average. Montreal's rent remains more affordable than cities like Toronto or Vancouver, but prices here are creeping up fast. </p><h3>Groceries - $400</h3><br/><p>Everyone's food budget looks a little different, but a reasonable monthly estimate for one person is about $400. That works out to roughly $100 per week, which is enough to keep your pantry stocked with staples and maybe even a few luxury items (hello, $9 oat milk).</p><p>Whether or not you let things go bad in the fridge is up to you...</p><h3>Utilities - $99</h3><br/><p>Even after you've paid rent, you'll still need to keep the lights on, the water running, and the place warm in winter. <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>, the world's largest crowd-sourced database focused on cost of living, lists the average cost of monthly utilities for a one-bedroom apartment in the city at around $99. That includes electricity, heating, cooling, and water.</p><p>If you're living in an older building with electric baseboards or inefficient insulation, that number could spike in colder months. </p><h3>Internet - $60</h3><br/><p>You're going to want Wi-Fi for streaming, doomscrolling, and arguing on Reddit. Expect to pay around $60 per month for a standard plan, according to <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>.</p><h3>Phone plan - $55</h3><br/><p>Canada's phone plans are notoriously pricey, and Montreal is no exception. A typical mobile plan (with data) in Montreal costs about $55 per month, per <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>. You might be able to score a cheaper deal with a smaller provider, but that's the general ballpark.</p><h3>Transportation - $104.50</h3><br/><p>On July 1, the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/stm-new-fares-july-1" target="_blank">STM's unlimited monthly OPUS pass</a> for bus and metro travel across the island rose to $104.50 per month. If you're downtown and transit-dependent, this is likely your best option.</p><p>Now, if you have a car, that number goes way up when you consider the cost of gas and insurance </p><h3>Eating out - $200</h3><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-restaurants-hidden-gems-tourists" target="_blank">Montreal's restaurant scene</a> is one of the best in the country. Whether it's late-night poutine, $10 bánh mì, or a solid lunch special, dining out is part of the culture here.</p><p>And let's be honest, you're not going to cook every meal at home. <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a> says the average restaurant meal costs $25. Assuming one or two outings per week (plus the odd $6 latte or $12 sandwich), $200 per month is a realistic budget for modest indulgence.</p><p>That's assuming you're being reasonable (no wine pairings or weekly tasting menus.)</p><h3>Partying - $120</h3><br/><p>A night out in Montreal doesn't always have to break the bank, but it can add up. If you go out a couple of times per month, expect to spend about $60 per night on drinks, cover, and tips. That works out to $120 a month, assuming you're not doing bottle service at Bord'elle every weekend.</p><p>Thankfully, the city's winter is harsh enough that it forces you to stay inside for a good chunk of the year.</p><h3>Fitness - $55</h3><br/><p>A mid-range gym membership in Montreal will cost you about <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$55 per month</a>. That's for a spot with standard equipment, not boutique classes or fancy extras.</p><h3>Coffee - $65</h3><br/><p>Assuming you grab a basic $3 coffee on most weekdays, that's roughly $15 per week, or $65 per month. Good coffe is easy to come by in Montreal, so it's easy to justify this expense — just maybe don't start every day with a $7 matcha.</p><h3>Extras - $100</h3><br/><p>Life happens. Haircuts, Ubers, prescription meds, toilet paper, birthday dinner, umbrellas. A $100 monthly cushion should cover most of the random but inevitable stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a category.</p><h2>Grand total: $2948.50 per month</h2><p>So what's the takeaway? Living solo in Montreal in 2025 isn't exactly cheap, but it's still more manageable than in cities like Toronto or Vancouver. In fact, according to a <a href="https://iris-recherche.qc.ca/publications/revenu-viable-2025/" target="_blank">May report from the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS)</a>, the minimum after-tax income needed to live with dignity in Montreal jumped to $40,084 (after tax) in 2025.</p><p>So, if you're earning under $3,000 a month, budgeting gets tight fast. And while your actual spending will depend on your habits and neighbourhood, this breakdown offers a realistic snapshot of what it takes to live comfortably without constantly saying no to lattes, nights out, or decent Wi-Fi.</p><p>The good news? With some planning (and maybe a roommate), Montreal is still one of the more liveable big cities in Canada. Just don't forget to factor in the fun stuff — otherwise, what's the point of living here?</p>
