Did Nicki Minaj get butt implants? It’s one of the great pop culture mysteries of the 21st century, up there with “Why is Kim Kardashian famous?” and “Is Lady Gaga a man?”

And while the 29-year-old newly crowned American Idol judge has never confirmed the widespread rumour her bulging booty is fake, the more famous she gets, the more media pundits try to get to the bottom of the matter.

Back in April, MediaTakeout dug up these “before-she-was-famous” photos from a couple of years ago at a Maryland club that show a significantly reduced rear.

Images: MediaTakeout.com

Nicki even got cheeky about the bum speculation in a Big Sean track released last year, appropriately titled “Dance (A$$)”.

“Kiss my a– and my anus, because it’s finally famous,” she raps on the track. “And it’s finally soft, yeah, it’s finally soft. I don’t know, man, guess them a– shots wore off.”

Nicki once told an MTV interviewer she doesn’t mind “the fascination” with her real-or-unreal butt.

“It’s all good. But I’ve said this before, it doesn’t define me. So, I try my best not to focus my energy on it,” Nicki said.

Images: Getty

“Like, if you guys focus energy on and spend energy on it, I don’t mind it. You know, people are sitting in the barbershop talking about my butt, it’s conversational. That’s what people are gonna do. As long as they’re talking about Nicki Minaj, I’m good.”

Should we take that as an admission of fact or a “whatevs, guys”?

According to reality star Coco, Ice T’s wife (who recently televised herself getting an ultrasound to prove her butt is real), Nicki admitted to her that her glutes aren’t God-given.

“Yeah, I thought she came out with it. I heard it from her,” Coco let slip.

“Yeah. OK, I’ve known — I don’t know. We’re not even going to go there anymore. Scandal? Right?”