Through the lens of critical criminology, this chapter analyses the criminalisation of three cultural manifestations rooted in Brazil’s Black and poor populations: samba, rap, and pixo (with brief explanations provided throughout the text for readers unfamiliar with them). To contextualise this discussion, the chapter begins by situating the criminalisation of these cultural manifestations within the broader Brazilian historical context. It then outlines the theoretical and analytical foundations of a critical criminology that seeks to grasp the matter at its roots, along with Frantz Fanon’s reflections on culture and racism in societies shaped by colonisation—such as Brazil. His ideas emphasise the importance of employing a materialist theory—such as the critical criminology adopted here as the theoretical framework—to examine cultural manifestations. Throughout its sections, the chapter demonstrates that culture and its criminalisation by the punitive system are tied to the capitalist mode of production and enduring structures of colonial domination. While it does not aim to exhaust the complexity of the topics it addresses, the chapter intends to offer a modest contribution to criminological research and to enrich the field with perspectives from and about the Global South.