Vancouver-based hip-hop artist SonReal has called off a promotion dubbed the "World's Worst Contest" that had Hamilton as the "prize" destination, when it became clear Hamiltonians online didn't seem to be laughing at the joke.

Timed with the release of a new single called "Hot Air Balloon," SonReal was offering a series of prizes that appeared to bolster a stereotypical image of Hamilton as a beleaguered place one would never want to visit, let alone fly over in a hot air balloon in February.

Facing considerable backlash online, by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday SonReal had taken down a video in which he promised to pay the round-trip bus fare for one person to Hamilton and to send him or her up in a midwinter hot air balloon ride.

He also said he was throwing in $10 for a fast-food dinner and a night with potential strangers in the shared dorm room at the Hamilton Guesthouse, Hamilton's only hostel.

"This is not a joke; I will send you there," he said in the video posted last week.

But Tuesday evening, he took down the contest and posted an apology:

Well, then he's kind of being a jerk. - Tanya Ritchie owner, the Hamilton Guesthouse

Before the apology, the whole thing didn't seem to indicate that SonReal — born Aaron Hoffman — has the most esteem for Hamilton, or at least for its frigid Februaries.

Though the three-time Juno-nominated artist did kick off his 2015 tour here. Hamilton was to be the second destination for SonReal's "World's Worst" contest. The first promised a bus trip for two to spend a weekend in Manitowoc County in Wisconsin, inspired by the Netflix series "Making a Murderer."

Neither SonReal nor Universal Music Canada responded to CBC News requests for comment Tuesday, but both posted SonReal's apology after this story was published. As of 8:30 p.m. ET, the tweets, video and contest page had been taken down.

'He'd better make sure we have space available'

Earlier Tuesday, it didn't appear the contest-holders had yet notified the hostel of their plans to put a winner up there.

Tanya Ritchie owns and runs the Hamilton Guesthouse, an 1850s-era mansion that has been converted into a hostel.

She said she had no such reservation for a guest of SonReal's, but said she welcomes any visitor to Hamilton.

"He hasn't made a reservation yet," Ritchie said. "He'd better make sure we have space available for his contest-winner."

Ritchie said she hadn't heard of the rapper. She was surprised to hear the stunt would be supported by a big label.

"Well, then he's kind of being a jerk," she said.

Especially, she said, as Hamilton is undergoing "a bit of renaissance."

When she learned of the rapper's apology, she tweeted out she'd be happy to offer him a deal at the guesthouse.

And others such as arts promoter Jeremy Freiburger ‏accepted the apology online.

He tweeted: "@TheRealSonReal Hamilton loves risk takers and we embrace learning from our mistakes. Heck we fish people out of waterfalls every weekend."

Online reaction to the world's worst contest

Ever wanted to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HotAirBalloon?src=hash">#HotAirBalloon</a> over Hamilton, ON.. In February❄️🎈😂 You can still enter our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldsWorstContest2?src=hash">#WorldsWorstContest2</a> here: <a href="https://t.co/zqnRt7qjs4">https://t.co/zqnRt7qjs4</a> <a href="https://t.co/8QjXrH5yKj">pic.twitter.com/8QjXrH5yKj</a> —@umusic

But people who caught wind of the contest through that tweet were not feeling as tickled.

<a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> classy.try to take a shot at Hamilton. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CancellingSpotify?src=hash">#CancellingSpotify</a> <br>Ignorance of <a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify">@Spotify</a> is astounding. —@SMB0213

<a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> absolutely classless. <a href="https://twitter.com/Arkells">@arkells</a>, can you maybe school the marketing department at your label? —@josh_uhrig

<a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> might want to rethink this one. —@HiddenPony

<a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> what the Hell??!! —@Stratscat

.<a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> why are we considered the worst?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hamont?src=hash">#hamont</a> <a href="https://t.co/y7ZI2l4TnT">https://t.co/y7ZI2l4TnT</a> —@marinitweet

<a href="https://twitter.com/marinitweet">@marinitweet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/umusic">@umusic</a> we'd love a hot air balloon ride over our gorgeous city! —@hambrgrhamilton