The US rapper Kanye West (45) wants to buy the Twitter alternative Parler, which is popular with supporters of ex-President Donald Trump and right-wing Americans. There is a basic agreement with the musician, said the company Parlement Technologies, to which the short message service belongs, on Monday.

The sale should be completed later this year. The company did not initially provide any further details, such as the price.

Parler describes itself as an online platform focused on freedom of speech. The still comparatively small platform started as a kind of Twitter copy on which everything was allowed. Because posts were discovered that, among other things, called for violence against specific people and glorified National Socialism, Parler was temporarily removed from Apple's App Store.

West, who now calls himself Ye, has been blocked from both Instagram and Twitter, at least temporarily, after causing a stir with media reports that he made anti-Semitic comments, among other things. The musician, who has four children with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, is one of the most successful rappers in the world. He also works as a fashion designer.