Rihanna’s fans are not the only ones rooting for her. One of her most famous supporters, hip-hop star Drake, has heard his peer’s new music and is sharing his excitement over her fresh start exclusively with staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud.

“Rihanna has a great album,” the 23-year-old rapper said after hearing the pop singer’s fourth effort Rated R. “She’s got great records that she’s using, she’s got great records that she’s not even using that she has for a later date. I’m excited for her. She deserves everything that she gets.”

Although he has nothing but positive things to say, Drizzy was surprised by the selection of “Russian Roulette” as the album’s first single. “It’s a cool little record. I don’t know if personally that’s the route I would’ve gone for a single choice,” he told staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud. “I can only say that because I’ve been around and heard the music that she’s coming with other than that record.”

But he doesn’t fault her for the decision. “We all make personal choices. It’s like the same way I shot a certain type of video for ‘Best I Ever Had.’ Maybe that’s where she’s at emotionally right now,” he offered. “I think if I heard it in the mix with the other ones, I would probably find more appreciation for it as opposed to it being the only thing that people are hearing from her right now after so long.”

While the Stargate production he recorded with Rihanna didn’t make the final cut, he hopes it will eventually find a home. “We did do some great work together and hopefully it’ll find it’s place on some project one day. The record we have is great. It’s a special record, so for it not to make it, I know something had to click. It’s all good. I think the project’s gonna be great no matter what.”

According to Drake, his fashionable friend is ready to start anew after dealing with the intense media scrutiny of the past nine months. “There’s been so much media attention swirling around her, that in order for her to get back to the music, she couldn’t have any ties to any of the stuff that’s been going on. I think she just wants to start fresh.”