Usher covers the latest issue of FADER and inside the issue shares a bit about how he has influenced Drake and his music. Usher says he made it ok for emcee’s such as Drake to rap over ballads. He also talks about 40, who produced a song off his album, “What Happened To You” and states, “When you have producers like 40, they understand the history and you always hear a little bit of a homage of the early ’90s in their music”. Check the excerpt of Usher speaking on Drake after the jump.

“Drake has made it—well I mean, go back, I made it okay to rap over ballads. So I guess even the creation of artists like Drake, having been an inspiration for those artists, I guess that was my style at one point. And as I begin to create other things and go in other directions, it still was great inspiration for them. So when you hear music like Drake or music that 40 and them create, I feel great about it. I love it and I wanted to participate in it, but I didn’t think that I needed as many features because the music doesn’t call for it. Rick Ross was one on ‘Lemme See.’ I felt like that would complement the record and make it better and it was a surprise.”