UMG Says Drake Only Suing Over 'Not Like Us' Because He Lost Kendrick Beef

11:58 AM PT -- Drake's lead attorney Mike Gottlieb tells TMZ ... “UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence. This motion is a desperate ploy by UMG to avoid accountability, but we have every confidence that this case will proceed and continue to uncover UMG’s long history of endangering, abusing and taking advantage of its artists.”

Drake's trying to have his cake and eat it too ... according to his music label UMG, which says his whole lawsuit over "Not Like Us" is really just sour grapes because Kendrick Lamar buried him in their rap beef.

Universal Music Group filed docs Monday in federal court, calling out Drake for his part in the diss track battle that surrounded the release of "Not Like Us." According to the label, "Drake encouraged the feud. For example, when he felt that Lamar was taking too long to respond, Drake released a second recording in which he goaded Lamar to continue the public rap battle."

Remember, Drake is suing his label for releasing the track, claiming it did so knowing its "certified pedophile" line was false and defamatory.

But, in the docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, UMG points out both Drake and Lamar released a total of 9 blistering songs attacking each other -- and, "Drake has been pleased to use UMG's platform to promote tracks leveling similarly incendiary attacks at Lamar."

UMG says Drake's insults included claims Kendrick is a domestic abuser, and Kendrick's biz partner is the real father of the rapper's son. The label says Drake's only suing "after losing the rap battle."

Drake's own label says his lawsuit "disregards the other Drake and Lamar diss tracks that surrounded 'Not Like Us' as well as the conventions of the diss track genre, and, thus, critically ignores the context of the dispute."

Translation: Ya live by the sword, ya die by the sword, Drake!

UMG flat-out denies "Not Like Us" is defamatory, especially considering the context of the rap war that was raging between both rappers -- who are both UMG artists -- and, it wants a judge to dismiss the whole lawsuit.