Drake voices love for Rihanna after Chris Brown collaboration

Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Drake is voicing his "love and respect" for Rihanna following his collaboration with Chris Brown.

The 33-year-old rapper discussed Rihanna, his rumored ex-girlfriend, and working with Brown during a Rap Radar interview published Wednesday.

Drake and Brown released the single "No Guidance" in June. Brown also previously dated Rihanna, and pleaded guilty to assaulting the "Love on the Brain" singer in 2009.

Drake, who was linked to Rihanna in 2016, said he connected with Brown after his romance with Rihanna came to a close.

"Well, I think we've come together before and tried to link and make music," Drake said of Brown. "I think we were always kind of forcing it. I think there was always resentment on both sides. You know, really at the end of the day, when you kind of step away from it and break it down, you start to feel silly because it's over girl stuff."

"I think we both just grew up to the point that person that was kind of in the middle of us is like no longer a part of either of our lives currently," he added.

Drake said he initially hesitated to work with Brown out of respect for Rihanna.

"I have the utmost love and respect for her," he said. "I think of her as family more than anything and I felt -- I actually had kind of a moment of hesitation before because I didn't want her to ever feel disrespected by me linking up with him, but I also know how many nights she knows that me and him have been both consumed by this issue, and I think she is a good person with a good heart who would rather see us put the issue to bed."

Rihanna told Vogue in 2018 that she hasn't stayed in touch with Drake since their split.

"We don't have a friendship now, but we're not enemies either. It is what it is," she said.

Rihanna is reportedly now dating Hassan Jameel.

Drake and Brown's "No Guidance" is nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2020 Grammys.