Kanye West 'just joking' in piracy post

Kayne West says he was joking with a recent piracy post on social media. Photo / Getty

Kanye West was just joking when he suggested he was a fan of music piracy in a recent post online.

The US rap star courted controversy last week when he shared a Twitter photo of a computer screen, which clearly showed an internet browser tab open to the Pirate Bay website.

The image suggested he was illegally downloading synthesizer software Serum, which is sold by dance star Deadmau5's Xfer Records.

The snap prompted Deadmau5 to attack West online, while the rapper quickly hit back by ridiculing the electronic artist in another of his infamous rants.

West has since attempted to clear up the controversy by insisting the photo post was meant as a "funny" prank, Billboard.com reports.

"It's funny because, you know, it's obviously not my computer," he claimed during an exchange with the paparazzi.

"I took a picture of it in the studio, and then everybody was like, 'Don't put that up.' I was like, 'Let it go up.'

"You know, the irony (is) that that was the site that downloaded a million of my albums (sic)..." he added, referring to reports suggesting his new album, The Life of Pablo, had been illegally downloaded over half a million times within days of its release.

- AAP