Social media platform Parler set to be acquired by Kanye West

Kanye West is turning to another social media platform. The rapper, whose Instagram account was recently restricted and Twitter page was temporarily locked over antisemitic posts, has agreed to obtain the conservative platform Parler, the company announced Monday.

“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West said.

The principle agreement for West, 45, to acquire Parler is expected to close by the end of the year, according to the announcement. It doesn’t specify how much West, who uses the stage name Ye, is paying for the platform.

“This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech,” said George Farmer, the CEO of the platform’s parent company, Parlement Technologies.

“Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again. Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals.”

Parler went offline for about a month after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in which supporters of former president Donald Trump charged the U.S. Capitol after his loss in the election to President Biden. Amazon Web Services suspended Parler at the time, telling the platform it found 98 examples of “posts that clearly encourage and incite violence.”

West, a 24-time Grammy winner known for songs such as “Jesus Walks” and “Through the Wire,” ran for president in 2020 as a third-party candidate but was previously supportive of Trump.

Instagram restricted West’s account earlier this month. The American Jewish Committee claimed the rapper shared “Anti-Jewish posts,” sharing a screen shot of a conversation between he and the rapper Diddy in which West allegedly wrote, “Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”

Twitter locked his account, meanwhile, after West said he’d go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” in a post that has since been taken down.

West created further outrage during his appearance on the Revolt TV show “Drink Champs” by contending George Floyd died of the drug fentanyl and not from ex-police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck.

“They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that,” West said on Sunday’s episode.

West made the claim after saying he attended the premiere of “Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM,” a documentary from the conservative commentator Candace Owens. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter for Floyd’s May 2020 death in Minnesota.

Earlier this month, West and Owens created controversy by wearing “white lives matter” shirts during Paris Fashion Week.