Drake getting closer to Rihanna

Drake and Rihanna have reportedly become so close he calls her by her birth name.

While Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, she is far better known by her stage name.

But Drake apparently prefers her real name and uses it when they are alone.

"When they're together he calls her Robyn," a source told Hollywood Life. "He knows her on a much deeper level.

She's special. He sees her heart and her soul and sees her for who she is as a woman and a person, not for the image that she has to publicly portray."

The rapper is said to care deeply about Rihanna, and makes a point of treating her well. While they haven't made their relationship official, the couple are constantly seen in each other's company.

"He cares about her like you wouldn't believe. He doesn't want to see his good friend hurt or in pain. He wants her to be that 'diamond in the sky' she sings about," the source added.

"He thinks she's beautiful, just like the words that come out of her mouth. He takes her and her work seriously."

Drake has previously spoken about how important having an emotional connection is to him, and said Will Smith explained true love to him. Ever since then, he has looked at things differently.

"I had lunch with Will Smith, and listening to him talk, it made me think I don't know what love is," Drake told GQ US last year. "He said something profound. He said love is when you become one and you need that person. It's not about wanting anymore, you need that person. Hearing that, I don't know if I've ever felt that way. I've held women in very high regard almost to the point where I felt like I needed them for a very long time, but I don't know if I comprehend it yet, and I'm okay with that."