21 Savage Bailed on Gig After Complaining About Gun and Opening Act

21 Savage skipped out on a paid gig at a club after voicing complaints about the opening act and demanding he be allowed to carry his gun ... this according to the promoter who booked him.

The promoter, Karen Smith, tells TMZ ... she booked 21 Savage for a fee of $17,000 to play a Sept. 2016 show at Bo'Maz Club in Hinesville, GA, but 21 and his crew bounced without saying a word.

The promoter tells us she caved and allowed him to carry his weapon. We're also told by someone who was at the show ... 21 groused about the opening act -- a local rapper -- and asked the DJ to cut him off but the DJ refused. 21 got angry, and he and his crew beat it.

In video from the club, obtained by TMZ, you see the local rapper performing on stage when 21 and his crew get up and leave ... before he performed a single song.

We broke the story ... the promoter went to cops in October 2016 and filed paperwork to get a felony warrant against 21 Savage for theft by deception, claiming he walked off with $17k for a show that never went down.

The warrant was issued but sat for more than 2 years. After 21 was arrested by ICE on Super Bowl Sunday, the club owner went to the Sheriff and decided to pursue the criminal case.

21 Savage turned himself in Friday morning and was booked for felony theft by deception. He was released within a half hour.

We reached out to 21's lawyer, Abbi Taylor, and she doubled down on her claim that 21 has committed no criminal offense. We believe he'll end up paying the woman and if that's what she's after she'll probably drop the case.