Ice Spice experienced a whirlwind of emotions as she stepped onto the stage at the BET Awards in June, performing her hit track “Phat Butt.”

The 24-year-old rapper from the Bronx wasn’t aware of the immense pressure artists face at award shows until she was in the spotlight.

Ice Spice shared how her perspective changed dramatically.

“I used to judge other artists’ awards show performances,” she confessed to Rolling Stone. “I’d be like, ‘Oh, that was awkward. Why the f**k would they do that? Why was she looking there?'”

But once she took to the stage herself, she realized how demanding it really was.

“When you’re doing it yourself, you’re like, ‘OK, this is a lot,'” she said. “There are like 10 different cameras. There are cues, and everything is just so much, but it’s fun, though. At the end of the day, when it’s over, it’s fun.”

But her insights didn’t stop at performances alone.

Ice Spice highlighted deeper issues within the music industry, particularly touching on gender disparities. She opened up about the challenges women face.

“We do live in a misogynistic world where it’s like you have to be breathtakingly hot to get certain opportunities,” she said. “I was born as a woman and raised as a woman, so I only know this lifestyle, but I could just imagine how easy it is for guys.”

The rapper envied the simpler preparation routines her male colleagues enjoy.

“I am very jealous when the men on my team get to sleep an extra five f**king hours because they don’t have glam,” Ice Spice complained.